Action Alert! Please reach out to the Senate Committee on Agriculture to support the right to repair agricultural equipment!
H.81 would benefit the local economy and local communities related to agricultural equipment and would make sure that, fundamentally, owners and operators have the autonomy and ability to repair equipment themselves and / or determine who they would like to repair it. Currently, farmers and loggers must rely on dealerships and non-legally binding agreements (MOUs) for repairs on modern equipment. Forcing farmers and loggers to rely on dealerships to make repairs leads to inflated service prices, delays in repairs of days to months, and the loss at the community level of basic skills and the allowance to practice them in repairing equipment. Such delays can and do put a farmer’s or logger’s livelihood at risk and these circumstances make buying newer equipment less attractive than buying old equipment that’s easier to repair. Passing this bill would support farmers and the local agricultural industry as more farmers would even consider buying newer equipment they can’t repair themselves, if it's ensured and clear that they can work with their skilled employees or independent repair shops. This could also vitalize the used equipment market and alleviate original manufacturers from being overburdened with service requests when they are needed the most. H.81 provides the choice for farmers and loggers to repair their own equipment or go to an independent repair shop while maintaining the option to go to a local dealer.
The State of Vermont already considered multiple versions of this bill in prior sessions and afforded a task force on this issue. Rural Vermont supports passing this legislation NOW and board member Em Virzi shared examples of how the Right-to Repair affects farmers first hand with the committee during Small Farm Action Day on March 14 (watch the recording here). H.81 passed out of the House last year with an astonishing favorable vote of 137-2, but it’s at risk of not advancing this session if the Senate Agriculture Committee does not support the bill.
Please reach out to the Senate Agriculture Chair, Sen. Robert Starr, and the members of Senate Agriculture as soon as possible to support H.81!
If you can, please do share any specific experiences about not having access to information or diagnostic tools outside of a dealership that prevented you from making their own repair. Any details about what machine or information would have allowed you or a 3rd party mechanic to make that repair outside of a dealership would be helpful as well.
Senate Agriculture Committee Contact Information
Sen. Robert Starr, Chair: rstarr@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Brian Collamore, Vice Chair: bcollamore@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Richard Westman: rawestman@gmail.com
Sen. Brian Campion: bcampion@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Irene Wrenner, Clerk: iwrenner@leg.state.vt.us
Let’s ensure Vermont’s farmers and loggers have the option to repair their equipment however they choose. Thank you for your support!
Summary of H.81 As Passed by the House
The House-passed version of H.81 (House vote 137-2) ensures original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer for sale or otherwise make available parts, tools, and documentation to independent repair providers or owners that OEMs also make available or for sale to authorized repair providers, and may make parts, tools, and documentation available to an independent repair provider or owner through an authorized repair provider that consents to sell or make available parts, tools, or documentation on behalf of the manufacturer. OEMs must also provide information that’s necessary to unlock or disable a function and to reset a lock or function after the repair is complete.
OEMs may also not impose an additional cost or burden that isn’t reasonably necessary on the independent provider or owner, and must offer for sale or provide tools, parts, and documentation at a cost that is fair to both parties and does not discourage repairs by an owner or independent provider.
H.81 does not require an OEM to divulge in trade secrets to an owner or independent service provider and does not allow modification of equipment to deactivate a safety notification system or access a function or tool that would take a piece of equipment out of compliance with federal, State, or local safety or emissions law, except as necessary to provide a repair.