Auto Care State Affairs Monthly Update: April 2026

Top Actions this Month: Maine passed the strongest Right to Repair law in the country. California's lubricant recycling bill moved through committee, and the Auto Care Association is now formally opposing it. Michigan introduced a chemicals bill with a deadline less than nine months away that cleaning products companies need to know about.

This issue covers what happened in April at the state level and what is coming up in May. If a bill could affect your business, we will keep you informed, tell you what we are doing about it, and show you how to get involved.

March Recap / April Look Ahead

April was a month of decisions. Bills that had been sitting in committees for weeks either passed, died, or moved on. The Auto Care Association was active in more than a dozen states. Here is what happened and what it means for you.

April Wins

Maine: Right to Repair Becomes Law

On April 6, Maine's governor signed a Right to Repair bill into law. Starting Sept. 1, 2027, automakers will be required to give independent repair shops the same access to vehicle data that they give dealerships. The law covers heavy-duty vehicles, allows shop owners to sue if their access is blocked, and sets fines up to $10,000 per violation.

This is the best Right to Repair outcome any state has produced. The Auto Care Association worked on this bill for months, including helping kill a competing bill in March that would have handed oversight to an automaker-funded organization with no real enforcement power.

Now that the law is passed, the next fight is over who gets appointed to the commission that will carry it out. Those appointments happen this summer. The association is pushing to make sure independent shops and aftermarket businesses have a seat at the table.

Colorado: A Harmful Exemption Gets Stopped

A bill in Colorado that would have carved information technology systems out of the state's Right to Repair law was killed in committee on April 27. That is a good outcome. Broad exemptions like this one are one of the main ways Right to Repair laws get weakened after they pass. Stopping it in Colorado matters.

Right to Repair and Vehicle Data

Illinois: Glass Repair Bill Moving Fast

Illinois passed a bill through the House requiring glass repair shops to notify customers in writing if their vehicle has safety systems (like cameras or sensors behind the windshield) that need to be recalibrated after a repair, and whether the shop can do that work. The bill moved to the Senate Insurance Committee in late April and is likely to reach the governor.

This same type of law passed in Virginia earlier this year and is moving in Louisiana. If you do glass repair work, pay attention to what your state is doing.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

EPR laws make the companies that manufacture products responsible for collecting and recycling the packaging or waste at the end of the product's life. How these programs are set up affects costs throughout the supply chain, including for distributors and retailers.

California: The association is now opposing the Lubricant Bill

California AB 2245 would create a recycling program specifically for lubricant containers and related automotive products. The bill had its committee hearing on April 14. After reviewing the bill and hearing from members, the Auto Care Association shifted its position to outright oppose.

The main problems: the bill would require all producers to use a single, state-designated recycling organization with no alternatives, and member feedback says the fees under that structure are significantly higher than what businesses pay today. On top of that, retailers and distributors could be blocked from selling covered products if a manufacturer falls out of compliance even if that is completely outside your control.

If you sell motor oil, lubricants, or lubricant containers in California, this bill affects you. Email governmentaffairs@autocare.org for a breakdown of what it would mean for your specific business.

New York: Packaging Recycling Bill Is Back

A broad packaging recycling bill in New York that failed last year was reintroduced in late April and is considered likely to pass the Senate. If it becomes law, companies that sell packaged products into New York would need to join a state-approved recycling program and meet annual reduction targets. If you sell packaged products in New York, this is worth tracking now.

Maryland: Battery Recycling Commission Signed Into Law

Maryland enacted a law on April 28 that restarts a state commission studying battery safety and recycling. The commission's new mandate includes looking at whether to require producers to pay for battery collection and recycling. An early report is due December 1, 2026. If you make, distribute, or handle batteries in Maryland, this is a signal worth watching.

PFAS: New Working Group, Real Deadlines

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals found in many products, including some automotive cleaning products, lubricants, and coatings. States have been passing laws banning or restricting these chemicals, and those laws are starting to take effect.

Michigan: A Hard Deadline Is Coming Fast

Michigan introduced a bill in April that would ban the sale of products containing intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2027. Automotive cleaning products are specifically listed. That is less than nine months away.

This is one of the most direct near-term threats in our active bill portfolio. If you make or distribute automotive cleaning products and sell them in Michigan, you need to be looking at this now. The Auto Care Association is treating it as a high priority. Contact governmentaffairs@autocare.org if you need more information.

We Launched a PFAS Working Group

On April 30, the Auto Care Association launched a PFAS Working Group. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are already participating. The group meets to track what states are doing, share what members are seeing on the compliance side, and work together on the association's response.

Here is why it matters: PFAS laws are already on the books in Minnesota, Washington, Maine, Colorado, Vermont, Connecticut, and others. More are moving in Michigan, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Kansas. Some of these bills name automotive cleaning products by category. Trying to track all of this on your own is difficult. Doing it together, with a shared view of what is coming and what other businesses are doing about it, is more effective.

The working group is open, and the association is actively looking for more participants, especially companies that make or sell cleaning products. If that is you, reach out at governmentaffairs@autocare.org.

What to Watch in May

Michigan: PFAS bill HB 5890 with a January 2027 deadline is the most urgent item in the portfolio right now.

California: The lubricant EPR bill (AB 2245) keeps moving. The association is actively opposing it.

Colorado: Supply reports under the existing packaging recycling program are due May 31. If you sell packaged products in Colorado, that deadline applies to you.

Minnesota: A bill to extend PFAS deadlines is active. The state's manufacturer reporting deadline is also coming up this summer.

New York: The packaging EPR bill is back in committee and likely to advance.

Ohio: A PFAS bill targeting automotive cleaning products sets a January 2027 reporting trigger and a January 2028 sales ban.

Illinois: The glass repair bill is in the Senate and moving quickly.

By the Numbers

In April, the Auto Care Association tracked more than 90 state bills, engaged in legislation across eight states, coordinated with coalition partners in six states, secured two wins on Right to Repair in Maine and Colorado, and launched the PFAS Working Group with member companies from across the value chain.

Get Involved

Look up your legislators and contact them directly: https://www.autocareadvocacy.org/legislator-lookup/

Questions about anything in this update? Email: governmentaffairs@autocare.org

This newsletter was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by Auto Care Association staff.