Colorado skips irrigation equipment in right-to-repair law

Colorado farmers and ranchers can now independently repair their equipment due to HB23-1011, the Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act, which passed 46-14 in Colorado’s Senate and was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis April 25. 

The policy specifically excludes irrigation equipment, motor vehicles, powersports vehicles and aircraft from the right-to-repair principle. 

The legislation mandates that manufacturers like Deere provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software documents and repair manuals, which will allow them to repair their equipment without having to engage a repair technician authorized by the manufacturer.  

“I am proud to sign this important bipartisan legislation that saves hardworking farmers and ranchers time and money on repairs, and supports Colorado’s thriving agriculture industry,” Polis said in a statement. “This is a common-sense bipartisan bill to help people avoid unnecessary delays from equipment repairs.” 

Opponents of the bill say that the bill is unnecessary.  

“Equipment manufacturers have always supported farmers’ right to safely maintain, diagnose and repair their own equipment in a timely manner, and this ill-advised and unnecessary legislation does not change that fact,” Kip Eideberg, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ senior vice president of government and industry relations, told Agri-Pulse. 

More than 20 states have introduced similar legislation this year.  

Read more about policy.