HB 23-1011

HB 23-1011, also known as the Consumer Right To Repair Agricultural Equipment bill, allows owners and independent repair providers of agricultural equipment to get necessary parts, software, tools, and manuals from manufacturers starting January 1, 2024. This means farmers won't have to rely solely on the original manufacturer for repairs and maintenance, giving them more options and potentially reducing costs. The bill was signed into law by the governor on April 25, 2023, and will take effect at the beginning of next year.

Official Summary

Usually, an owner of agricultural equipment must seek diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services of the equipment from the agricultural equipment manufacturer (manufacturer). Starting January 1, 2024, the act requires a manufacturer to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools, or documentation, such as diagnostic, maintenance, or repair manuals, diagrams, or similar information (resources), to independent repair providers and owners of the manufacturer's agricultural equipment to allow an independent repair provider or owner to conduct diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services on the owner's agricultural equipment. A manufacturer's failure to comply with the requirement to provide resources is a deceptive trade practice. The act folds agricultural equipment into the existing consumer right-to-repair statutes and adds data to the list of resources that a manufacturer must provide to independent repair providers or owners. An independent repair provider or owner is not authorized to make any modifications to agricultural equipment that deactivates a safety notification system or brings the equipment out of compliance with safety or emissions laws or to engage in any conduct that would evade emissions, copyright, trademark, or patent laws. If an agricultural equipment manufacturer enters into a nationwide memorandum of understanding regarding right-to-repair agricultural equipment, the manufacturer is still obligated to meet the requirements of this act. If Congress enacts federal legislation regarding the right to repair agricultural equipment, this act will be repealed. APPROVED by Governor April 25, 2023 EFFECTIVE January 1, 2024 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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