Today, the Vermont House passed legislation which would guarantee Right to Repair for farm and forestry equipment. If passed by the Senate and signed, H. 81 would require manufacturers of farm and forestry equipment to allow owners and independent repair technicians to access the parts, tools and information needed to repair that equipment on fair and reasonable terms.
The bill passed nearly unanimously. VPIRG (Vermont Public Interest Research Group) Communications & Engagement Director Zach Tomanelli touted the broad support: “Fair repair is something that everybody can get behind and I think today’s vote shows that. The Vermont House overwhelmingly passed this bill on an 137-2 vote with support from Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Progressives and Libertarians. This is a big win for Vermont’s farmers and forestry professionals who just want to be able to fix their equipment.”
Repair.org has been working to push the measure as well. Repair.org Executive Director Gay Gordon-Byrne added, “Vermont put a lot of time of effort into this bill, and the lopsided vote is evidence of how diligent they were to craft this bill. Coming on the heels of progress in Colorado and elsewhere it’s becoming clear that Right to Repair is here to stay.”
Vermont becomes the fifth state so far in 2023 to have a bill pass through a full chamber of the state legislature, joining Colorado, Washington, West Virginia and Minnesota. A broad Right to Repair also advanced out of committee without opposition in Missouri today.
It's harder than it should be to fix our stuff. Manufacturers of every electronic product from toasters to tractors create barriers that stymie repair from owners or independent repair businesses. It's fueling a rise in electronic waste, the loss of independent repair businesses -- and ultimately more cost and more waste for consumers.
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