House passes "right‑to‑repair" bill giving farmers access to diagnostic and software information

Representative Wolf, the bill sponsor from Blackhawk, opened debate on House File 2763, saying the measure requires original equipment manufacturers to make diagnostic and repair information — including technical and software updates — available to farm equipment owners and independent repair providers. "Today, farmers are being told that they don't have the right to fix their equipment they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for," Wolf said.

An amendment, H8407, offered and explained by Wolf, was adopted before final consideration. Wolf said the amendment "strengthens the bill" by expressly preserving farmers' ownership of the data they collect on their machines and protecting its confidentiality. Representative Lewis Scholten (Woodbury) supported the change, citing concerns that a single company was harvesting producer data and excluding farmers from access. Scholten said studies show equipment repair alternatives could save farmers billions and argued the bill is fundamentally about competition and choice.

After debate, Wolf moved HF2763 for final passage. The clerk reported the vote: 69 yeas, 18 nays and 13 absent or not voting; the House declared the bill to have received a constitutional majority and agreed to the title.

Why it matters: Sponsors framed the bill as restoring control to farmers over machines they buy and as a competition issue in markets dominated by a few large manufacturers. Supporters said quicker access to repair information reduces costly downtime during planting and harvest.

The measure now moves to the Senate for further consideration.