BOSTON --- Massachusetts legislators are considering four "right to repair" bills, all of which seek to force automakers to share technical service information under penalty of law and threat of lawsuit.

The legislation has been the subject of hearings this week before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

House Bill 285 and House Bill 282 both address the kind of information automakers would be required to share and how they would need to share it.  

House Bill 228 and companion Senate Bill 124 seek to involve the Attorney General's office with service information disputes and create penalties for violations ($10,000 for a first offense, $20,000 for subsequent offenses). Moreover, the bills give vehicle owners and independent repair shops the right to bring a civil action against an automaker that won't share the information. 

The bills have drawn opposition from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Association of International Automobile Manufacturers and Automotive Service Association.

Supporters of the right-to-repair bills, however, include the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, AAA, the National Federation of Independent Business and the Massachusetts Independent Automobile Dealers Association, the Cape Code Times reported.