September 26, 2025

The Sentinel

By James Reed

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a landmark piece of legislation, Maryland House Bill 31, “Consumer Protection – Right to Repair – Powered Wheelchairs,” to address delays in powered wheelchair repairs.

The bill was sponsored by one of Montgomery County’s representatives, Del. Aaron Kaufman, D-District 18, with co-sponsorship by Del. Kevin Hornberger, R-District 35B. The bill was cross-filed in the Senate by Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-District 17, with co-sponsorship from several other Senators.

For Kaufman, this is not just a legislative victory for his constituents but a victory for him.

A graduate of Montgomery County’s Walter Johnson High School, Kaufman is the first member of the Maryland General Assembly with a physical disability, having served in the House of Delegates since January 2023. He has cerebral palsy, as did his older brother, Jay Kaufman, who died in 2023. Jay Kaufman exclusively used a powered wheelchair, and Del. Aaron Kaufman uses one for longer distances and a walker for shorter distances.

Kaufman filed the bill on Sept. 27, 2024, and it entered the legislative process in January 2025. The measures in the bill will go into effect Oct. 1.

The bill is part of a growing “Right to Repair” movement throughout the United States that addresses manufacturer policies that make it difficult for customers to repair any number of products, ranging from tractors to iPhones. Manufacturers often restrict access to necessary tools for repair, for example, by using proprietary parts or software locks that are made available only to authorized retailers.

The first instance of such “Right to Repair” legislation was proposed in Massachusetts in 2001 in relation to the automotive industry, but was not passed until 2012.

In an interview at a local coffee shop, Kaufman discussed the bill and the broader issue of the “Right to Repair” for powered wheelchairs.

When it comes to powered wheelchair repair, “the manufacturers sort of had a monopoly whereby you would have to mail it back to the manufacturer or use only certain authorized technicians,” Kaufman said. “It takes an astronomical amount of time to get your wheelchair repaired.”

This bill was intended to improve the long wait times and high costs of powered wheelchair repair. In a 2021-2022 U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) survey, 93% of powered wheelchair users reported needing a repair on their chairs over the last 12 months, and in the majority of cases, the repairs took longer than four weeks, with many reporting wait times of over six weeks.

According to the PIRG, “Any delay in repair is not only a quality-of-life issue, but a matter of life and death. … Delays in repair and faulty service have … been linked to injuries, hospitalizations and even death.”

Kaufman relayed a story about his late brother, Jay Kaufman, to illustrate the potential impact of delayed wheelchair repair times. When Aaron Kaufman and Jay Kaufman’s late grandmother was to be honored by the Israeli embassy, Jay’s wheelchair broke down, and he was unable to get it repaired quickly. As Jay had quadriplegia, a temporary replacement sufficiently customized to his needs was not possible, and he missed the ceremony. It would end up being his last chance to see his grandmother, as she passed soon thereafter.

“I knew, from when my brother’s chair was broken and from when my chair was broken, what a devastating impact it has on multiple aspects of your life, and when my friend [Sen.] Cheryl Kagan … asked me if I wanted to partner with her on this legislation … I knew something had to be done,” said Kaufman.

“When somebody’s wheelchair breaks, it is like you have broken their legs, because they cannot participate in society, they cannot attend work, they cannot go out to socialize with friends,” Kaufman said. When you are using a device for mobility, whether it be a walker or a wheelchair, “you are at the mercy of your equipment.”

The bill impacts more than just people who use powered wheelchairs. “We wanted to support local businesses … [and ensure that] manufacturers don’t have a monopoly on wheelchair repairs,” Kaufman said. The bill doesn’t just improve service from manufacturers, but expands it to small businesses who otherwise would be unable to provide these services due to a lack of authorized parts, manuals and tools. The bill even allows for a layperson to perform minor repairs.

In the Maryland General Assembly, the bill received strong support from both sides of the political spectrum. In the Senate, it was passed unanimously, and with only 17 holdouts out of 141 House Delegates.

Kaufman emphasized the bipartisan support for this legislation. “When it comes to supporting people with disabilities, there really shouldn’t be any partisanship.” On Jan. 21, by Kaufman’s request, Republican Del. Kevin Hornberger, who had unsuccessfully sponsored similar legislation in the agricultural and automotive industries in the past, was added as a co-sponsor to the bill. “I think it helped with my Republican colleagues to have a conservative like Kevin Hornberger on board,” said Kaufman.

With Gov. Wes Moore’s signature, the bill ensures that, with a few exceptions, the manufacturers of powered wheelchairs must make any documentation, tools and software, which previously were available only to certified retailers, accessible. There are some exceptions: this legislation does not apply to parts that are out of date and no longer in production, to “trade secrets,” nor does it apply to a small percentage of parts that require a specialist to configure.

When asked about powered wheelchair manufacturers’ views, Kaufman suggested speaking with lobbyist Sherry Nickerson, who advocated for the latter exception. In a phone interview, Nickerson noted that of the 14,000 parts that go into a powered wheelchair, this exception only applies to about 3%, those that need to be calibrated by a professional clinician.

“Christopher Reeve had a tube he blew into to control his wheelchairs – that part would need to be calibrated by a specialist.”

Nickerson also advocated for an amendment that would do away with another hindering aspect of the repair process, prior authorization, which delays repairs until insurance approval.

“If I am sitting in front of your house with all the parts in my van, and all I need to do is give you a new battery, I have to wait for it to get through insurance,” said Nickerson, “and this can take up to 48 days.” This is especially concerning, considering that some repairs are required annually.

In the end, this latter amendment was not added to the bill, as there were concerns about pushback from insurance companies, but Nickerson said that she thought this measure may be considered again in the future.

“As a legislator, you have to take half a loaf instead of a full loaf so your bill doesn’t get killed,” Kaufman said.

He said this legislation will help create an efficient repair industry for powered wheelchairs in Maryland, reducing wait times and prices and alleviating health concerns for wheelchair users, thereby removing roadblocks to their full participation in society.

As the interview came to a close, Kaufman reflected on his career and his advice to students.

“I’m [an awesome] delegate, and so I want people to know that people with disabilities can achieve at high levels,” Kaufman said. But, they “need support to do so, like easily reparable wheelchairs.”

Kaufman graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland, and he was named “Rookie Delegate of the Session” in 2023.

As a graduate of a local MCPS High school, Kaufman advised area students who want to pursue a cause like he did to find “whatever gets them up in the morning and they are passionate about it.”

Kaufman notes that when it comes to being the impetus for change, the connections from volunteering can be invaluable.

“The reason why I am where I am today, in addition to my own tenacity, is that I was one of [Sen.] Chris Van Hollen’s first volunteers, and as such, when it was time for me to run [for office], he did a fundraiser for me because we have been friends since 2002.”

“The number one misconception that young people have today about internships or volunteering,” Kaufman said, ”is that they don’t need to do grunt work. I mentioned Chris Van Hollen. I answered his phones and I stuffed envelopes for him, and look where I am now.”