| Summary |
Usually, an owner of agricultural equipment must seek diagnostic,
maintenance, or repair services of the equipment from the agricultural
equipment manufacturer (manufacturer).
Starting January 1, 2024, the bill requires a manufacturer to
provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools, or documentation,
such as diagnostic, maintenance, or repair manuals, diagrams, or similar
information (resources), to independent repair providers and owners of
the manufacturer's agricultural equipment to allow an independent repair
provider or owner to conduct diagnostic, maintenance, or repair services
on the owner's agricultural equipment.
The bill folds agricultural equipment into the existing consumer
right-to-repair statutes, which statutes provide the following:
•
A manufacturer's failure to comply with the requirement to
provide resources is a deceptive trade practice;
•
In complying with the requirement to provide resources, a
manufacturer need not divulge any trade secrets to
independent repair providers and owners; and
•
Any new contractual provision or other arrangement that a
manufacturer enters into that would remove or limit the
manufacturer's obligation to provide resources to
independent repair providers and owners is void and
unenforceable.
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