This week a Right to Repair bill specific to agricultural machinery was introduced in the Arkansas legislature. House Bill 1852 is co-sponsored by Representative Jeremiah Moore (R) and Senator Matt Stone (R). The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development. Representative Moore is currently the Vice-Chair of that Committee.
HB 1852 is a watered-down version of the typical Right to Repair bills we see. The bill does mention parts and does not require parts to be sold at dealer cost, our main priority. There is no private cause of action, and in its current form the bill does not appear to have an enforcement mechanism. The bill does, however, require OEMs to provide a level of access to software and embedded code that opens the door to modification, which is unnecessary given what is currently accessible and available for self-repair.
NAEDA has submitted our position statement to the bill sponsors and requested a meeting to discuss their intent behind the bill. As you know, this is pretty late in the game for a bill to be introduced. The Arkansas legislature is set to adjourn in a couple of weeks, but bills can be passed quickly under certain circumstances.
We will keep you updated on the status of this legislation as we fight the bill and keep close tabs on it. If you have any questions or comments about this bill, please reach out to me directly.
