Sen. Tipping resubmits Maine ‘right to repair’ bill for appliances and electronics

AUGUSTA — Earlier today, Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, resubmitted legislation to make the ‘right to repair’ for appliances and electronics available to Mainers. In April 2026, this version of the bill passed the Maine Senate but failed by two votes in the House.

“This is an important piece of legislation, not just for protecting our basic right to be able to fix our own stuff, not just for keeping e-waste out of our landfills, but also as a way of making life less expensive for Maine families,” said Sen. Tipping. “Mainers have long been proud of using and repairing and re-using things until they finally, fully wear out. It’s time to protect and enshrine that tradition in law.”

According to U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s 2026 Electronic Waste Graveyard, expired software or the withdrawal of tech support has contributed to 1.7 billion pounds of potential e-waste since 2014. For example, up to 400 million PCs are hardware-incapable of running Windows 11, but otherwise functional. Microsoft’s support for Windows 10 on these devices ended on Oct. 14, 2025.

Sen. Mike Tipping, D-Orono, who resubmitted his ‘right to repair’ bill for appliances and electronics, speaks at a mock memorial service for junked electronic devices at Capitol Park in Augusta. He is joined by advocates and policymakers from the Right to Repair Campaign and Environment Maine.

Sen. Mike Tipping is finishing his second term in the Maine Senate. He is the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Labor Committee and a member of the Government Oversight and Taxation Committees. He represents Senate District 8, which includes 26 communities in central and northern Penobscot County.

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