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Senate committee rejects "right to repair" bill after hours of testimony from dealers, farmers and service providers
Summary
The Senate Agriculture Committee voted no on House Bill 18‑52, which would have required equipment manufacturers to make certain repair tools and software reasonably available to farmers; opponents warned of safety, emissions and resale risks while supporters said the bill would protect independent farmers and prevent consolidation.
Senator Sarah Stone, sponsor of House Bill 18‑52, told the Senate Agriculture Committee the bill was intended to preserve farmers' ability to maintain and repair agricultural equipment they own.
The measure drew more than an hour of testimony and an amendment that removed irrigation equipment from the bill's scope before the committee took a final vote. Supporters said the bill would protect family farms from consolidation and ensure farmers could repair older, out‑of‑warranty machinery. "Farmers should have the right to work and repair on their own equipment," said Senator Stone.
Opponents — primarily dealer representatives and service managers — said the marketplace already provides repair options and raised safety and emissions concerns if proprietary software and calibration tools were broadly available. Steve Shepherd, senior vice president of Greenway Equipment, described dealer investment in technician training and noted available industry tools: "You can get the diagnostic tool to get the codes for your tractor. It's called Service Advisor from John Deere. It's $3,100 for the subscription," Shepherd said.
Scott Waller, regional service manager for United Ag & Turf, said broad access to certain software could enable disabling safety or emissions systems: "We are concerned of that wording right there without limitations. What does that mean? We don't want that to be able to be changed," he told the committee.
Several independent dealers and used‑equipment managers testified against the bill, describing risks to resale value and the difficulty of detecting altered or corrupted software. Heath Hinesley, used equipment manager for AgUp Equipment, said corrupted software can remain undetected for months and create safety and warranty issues after resale.
Senator Stone closed by noting she expected farmers would benefit but that few farmers were available to testify because they were working in the fields. The committee adopted an amendment narrowing scope but, after debate, voted against the bill. The chair announced, "All opposed say no. Bill fails."
