Colorado’s and its 2024 Consumer Right to Repair Digital Electronic Equipment law, which took effect in January 2026, guarantees owners access to tools and documentation for phones, computers and routers. Lawmakers later introduced SB26-090, a bill that would carve out a vague “critical infrastructure” exemption, potentially letting manufacturers sidestep those protections. The proposal sparked a fierce showdown between big‑tech lobbyists and repair advocates.

Lobbying efforts from Cisco and IBM helped move the bill through a unanimous Senate hearing on April 2 and a Senate vote on April 16. When the measure reached the House’s State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, dozens of witnesses—from cybersecurity experts to local recyclers—testified. Their combined testimony tipped the vote, and the committee rejected the measure 7‑4, postponing it indefinitely.

Consumer group CoPIRG’s Danny Katz credited the broad coalition—including PIRG, iFixit, Consumer Reports and environmental nonprofits—for neutralizing the bill’s momentum. By preserving the original right‑to‑repair safeguards, Colorado keeps a template that other states may follow as manufacturers push back against similar legislation nationwide. The defeat marks a rare legislative win for the repair movement.