NIADA’s fight for right to repair legislation has been building all year, and it’s moving from meetings to the national stage.
It started when the 119th Congress convened, and bills in both the House and Senate were introduced and NIADA brought the dealer voice to the debate. The momentum grew in September, when over 150 independent dealers attended the National Policy Conference and advocated for a fair and open repair network. Then in April, NIADA Board Chairman Don Griffin traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet directly with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill to make our case. Those conversations focused on one message: independent dealers need the same access to diagnostics, software, parts and repair data that manufacturers already have. Without it, reconditioning work slows down, costs rise, and consumers pay the price. That same message was conveyed to administration officials during a June White House meeting.
That groundwork set the stage for Griffin’s op-ed in The Hill, published last week. Drawing on more than 30 years as an independent dealer, Griffin made the case publicly: right to repair legislation offers a bipartisan solution that protects consumers’ freedom to choose where their vehicle gets fixed, without compromising manufacturer trade secrets or vehicle cybersecurity. As new vehicle prices sit at record highs and more Americans turn to the used market, Griffin argued, that choice matters more than ever.
The next stop on this journey is NIADA’s 2026 Policy Conference, September 28–29 in Washington, D.C. Members will build on Griffin’s advocacy by meeting directly with lawmakers, keeping pressure on Congress to pass right to repair legislation and give independent dealers a seat at the table.
From the Hill to the headlines to the Policy Conference floor, NIADA is putting members’ voices where they count. Registration for the Policy Conference is open now.
