More than two dozen state attorneys general (AG) are seeking action from Congress on the right to repair. The coalition sent a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee outlining concerns. At the core of the issue is consumers’ ability to repair agricultural equipment, automobiles, and digital goods.
“The Right-to-Repair is a bipartisan issue that impacts every consumer, household, and farm in a time of increasing inflation. It is about ensuring that consumers have choices as to who, where, when and at what cost their vehicles can be repaired,” the letter states. “It is about ensuring that farmers can repair their tractors for a reasonable price and quickly enough to harvest their crops.”
The coalition of 28 AGs highlights three pieces of legislation that Congress should be considering more heavily. Introduced in 2021, the Fair Repair Act would require manufacturers to make certain tools and documents available to independent repair providers and owners. The SMART Act would allow repair shops to use alternative or off-brand parts to repair vehicles. Finally, the REPAIR Act prevents manufacturers from mandating specific brands of parts and equipment be used on a vehicle. It would also require manufacturers to provide a standardized platform for owners and repair shops to access data and diagnostics.
The right to repair agricultural equipment and other technologies has been taken up by several different states individually. American Farm Bureau Federation has also been working to address the issue of repairing ag equipment by entering into memorandums of understanding with John Deere and CNH Industrial. In the letter, the coalition highlights different surveys that found that 95 percent of farmers support the right to repair their equipment. Additionally, 78 percent of respondents to a national survey agreed with legislation that provides the right for consumers to repair their property.
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