Lowering the Cost of Living by Promoting the Freedom to Fix

This Presidential Memorandum, signed in late June 2026, directs the EPA to dismantle the regulatory barriers that currently prevent Americans from repairing their own vehicles and restrict the availability of affordable aftermarket parts.Key directives include:Ending California’s Monopoly (CARB): The memo criticizes the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for being a "faulty" and "backlogged" bottleneck. It orders the EPA to approve alternative organizations to test and certify aftermarket parts, bypassing California’s one-year wait times and providing a new federal pathway for manufacturers.30-Day Guidance for DIYers: The EPA must issue a "freedom to fix" guide within 30 days, clarifying exactly what emissions-related repairs individuals can legally perform on their own vehicles under the Clean Air Act.Protection from Prosecution: The EPA is instructed to "deprioritize" civil enforcement against individuals who, in good faith, attempt to repair their own vehicles to their original factory configuration.Increasing Parts Supply: By creating faster certification paths, the administration seeks to lower the cost of repair parts, prevent "cheap foreign knock-offs," and increase consumer choice.Strategic Context:The administration frames this as the final step in a massive deregulatory campaign to protect the internal combustion engine. It follows the 2026 revocation of the "Endangerment Finding" and the resetting of fuel economy (CAFE) standards. The overarching goal is to lower the cost of vehicle ownership for American families by restoring the "Right to Repair" and ending the federal government's reliance on California’s environmental mandates.