Colorado passes first US right to repair legislation for farmers

(Adds that CNH did not immediately respond to request for
comment in paragraph 7)

By Bianca Flowers

April 12 (Reuters) – Colorado farmers will be able to
legally fix their own equipment next year, with manufacturers
including Deere & Co obliged to provide them with manuals
for diagnostic software and other aids, under a measure passed
by legislators in the first U.S. state to approve such a law.

The Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act
passed 46-14 in Colorado’s Senate late on Tuesday, after winning
approval in the state House of Representatives in February. The
bill garnered bipartisan support as farmers grew increasingly
frustrated with costly repairs and inflated input prices denting
their profits.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has 10 days to sign the bill
into law and he is expected to do so, according to a
spokesperson.

Equipment makers have generally required customers to use
their authorized dealers for repairs to machines such as
combines and tractors.

Colorado’s legislation would mandate that farm machinery
manufacturers like Deere and rival CNH Industrial
provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software documents, and
repair manuals starting Jan 1. Similar resources must be made
available to independent technicians.

A spokesperson for Deere & Co responded to the passage of
the bill, saying that it supports farmers right to repair but
believes that the legislation is “unnecessary and will carry
unintended consequences.”

CNH did not immediately respond to Reuters request for
comment.

Equipment makers worry the legislation may allow farmers to
override certain safety systems or emissions controls, said Eric
Wareham, a North American Equipment Dealers Association vice
president.

State Representative Brianna Titone, a Democrat who
sponsored the legislation, predicted other states will follow
suit.

“If there are no lawsuits or collapse of the industry, it
demonstrates that the law is not going to cause chaos like many
opponents think it will,” Titone said.

Lawmakers amended the bill to include language that farmers
and repair shops will not be authorized “to make modifications”
to functions related to security or emissions.

State lawmakers are pushing right to repair legislation even
though Deere and CNH signed a memorandum of understanding with
the American Farm Bureau Federation to allow farmers to fix
their equipment, or go to a third-party repair shop.

The agreement does not give farmers total access for
repairs, said Kevin O’Reilly, director for the campaign of right
to repair at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

(Reporting by Bianca Flowers; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
((Bianca.Flowers@thomsonreuters.com;))

Keywords: USA AGRICULTURE/EQUIPMENT REPAIRS (UPDATE 2, PIX)

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