Danny Katz
Executive Director, CoPIRG
Agriculture Right to Repair bill passes through first Colorado committee
Media Contacts
DENVER: The Colorado House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources committee passed HB23-1011, entitled Consumer Right To Repair Agricultural Equipment and sponsored by Representatives Brianna Titone and Ron Weinberg, on a 9-4 vote. CoPIRG applauds Representatives Amabile, Lukens, Lindsay, Martinez, Parenti, Valasco, Story and Chair McCormick for joining Representative Titone in voting yes.
HB23-1011 would require manufacturers of agricultural equipment to make available parts, tools, repair manuals, and documentation to owners and independent repairers at fair and reasonable prices to fix their agricultural equipment. It also requires manufacturers provide the digital access and embedded software needed to complete repairs.
In reaction to the committee vote, CoPIRG Executive Director Danny Katz released the following statement:
“For decades, if something you owned broke, you could fix it yourself, take it to an independent repair shop or go back to the dealer or manufacturer. You had choices. Unfortunately, as more of our stuff, including agricultural equipment like tractors and combines, runs on software, manufacturers are able to lock us out, undermining the repair marketplace and driving up costs and inconvenience.
When manufacturers restrict access to the embedded software tools needed to repair broken tractors, farmers are left out in the cold. They are forced to rely on dealerships to fix their equipment, which can lead to lengthy delays and inflated repair bills. With fields to be plowed, planted and harvested, farmers don’t always have the time to wait for a dealer. They need to be able to fix their own stuff and should have the freedom to get help from someone they trust whether that’s themselves, a family member, a friend, an independent repairer or the dealer.
Just like car owners and wheelchair users, which both have right-to-repair protections because of state laws, farmers should have access to the stuff they need to fix their equipment.”
