Nothing like getting things done at the state level, where we are guaranteed to have 50 different ways of doing the same thing, vs once at the federal level.
WRT the NEC, just ignore them, and do what you're going to do (safely) ... there's always a way around a roadblock organization that says "qualified/certified people only", or permits/inspectors, or whomever ... just has to be a will to do so.
Right to repair is coming, just not as fast as we'd like ... in the meantime, research and careful product purchasing gets you part of the way there. Nothing like a good tear-down video to determine if something is repairable, or potted beyond reason ... in which case, avoid that one and keep looking.
One good "screw-adapter kit" (for all those funky locking screws that manufacturers use), and you can get into anything ...