AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT (Provides that original equipment manufacturers, implemented by/with surrogate distributors, of agricultural equipment, provide to independent service providers repair information and tools to maintain and repair electronics-enabled agricultural equipment.)

H7476

2026 -- H 7476
========
LC004801
========

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS --
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT

Introduced By:
Representatives Shallcross Smith, Fogarty, Bennett, Azzinaro,
Marszalkowski, DeSimone, and McGaw

Date Introduced:
February 04, 2026

Referred To:
House Corporations
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Title 6 of the General Laws entitled "COMMERCIAL LAW — GENERAL
2
REGULATORY PROVISIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
3
CHAPTER 63
4
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT
5

6-63-1. Short title.

6

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Agricultural Equipment Right to
7
Repair Act".
8

6-63-2. Definitions.

9

As used in this chapter:
10

(1) "Authorized repair provider" means an individual or business who is affiliated with an
11
original equipment manufacturer and who has an arrangement with the original equipment
12
manufacturer, for a definite or indefinite period, under which the original equipment manufacturer
13
grants to the individual or business a license to use a trade name, service mark, or other proprietary
14
identifier for the purposes of offering the services of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of
15
electronics-enabled agricultural equipment under the name of the original equipment manufacturer,
16
or other arrangement with the original equipment manufacturer to offer such services on behalf of
17
the original equipment manufacturer. An original equipment manufacturer who offers the services
18
of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of its own electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, shall be

1
considered an authorized repair provider, with respect to such equipment.
2

(2) "Documentation" means any manual, diagram, reporting output, service code
3
description, schematic, product guides, product service demonstrations, training seminars, clinics,
4
fleet management information, connected support, mobile applications, on-board diagnostics via
5
diagnostics port or wireless interface, or other guidance or information on service, parts, operation,
6
safety, electronic field diagnostic service tools, or training for use in effecting the services of
7
diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment.
8

(3) "Electronics-enabled agricultural equipment" or "equipment" means any product, part
9
of a product, or attachment to a product, when sold or leased for use in farming, ranching, or other
10
agriculture, that depends for its functioning, in whole or in part, on digital electronics embedded in
11
or attached to it. The term includes, but is not limited to, a tractor, trailer, combine, tillage, planting,
12
irrigation, or cultivating implement, baler, unmanned aircraft system, or off-road vehicle.
13
Electronics-enabled agricultural equipment or equipment does not include motor vehicles, and does
14
not include consumer electronic devices, including wireless communication devices and
15
computers.
16

(4) "Embedded software" means any programmable instructions provided on firmware
17
delivered with electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, or with a part for such equipment, for
18
purposes of equipment operation, including all relevant patches and fixes made available by the
19
manufacturer of such equipment or part for such purposes.
20

(5) "Fair and reasonable terms for obtaining a part, a tool, documentation, or software"
21
means at fair and reasonable costs and terms, that do not impair the contracts and agreements
22
between authorized repair providers affiliated with the original equipment manufacturer. Fair and
23
reasonable terms shall not include additional cost or burden not reasonably necessary, or designed
24
to be an impediment on the independent repair provider or equipment owner.
25

(6) "Fair and reasonable terms for software tools" means permitting or effecting the
26
diagnosis, maintenance, or repair and enabling full functionality of electronics-enabled agricultural
27
equipment without requiring authorization or Internet access, or in a manner that impairs the
28
efficient and cost-effective performance of any of those activities, unless authorization is required
29
to prevent access to source code or infringement of intellectual property in software or hardware
30
that is owned and licensed to the original equipment manufacturer by a third party and subject to
31
terms of use.
32

(7) "Firmware" means a software program or set of instructions programmed on
33
electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, or on a part for such equipment, to allow the equipment
34
or part to communicate within itself or with other computer hardware.

LC004801 - Page 2 of 6
1

(8) "Independent repair provider" means an individual or business operating in this state,
2
that does not have an arrangement with an original equipment manufacturer and is not affiliated
3
with any individual or business which has such an arrangement with an original equipment
4
manufacturer, and is engaged in the service, diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-
5
enabled agricultural equipment. An original equipment manufacturer, individual or business which
6
has a service or repair arrangement with another original equipment manufacturer shall be
7
considered an independent repair provider for purposes of those instances in which it engages in
8
the service, diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment that is
9
not manufactured by or sold under the independent repair provider's brand name.
10

(9) "Motor vehicle" shall have the same meaning as set forth in § 31-1-3.
11

(10) "Original equipment manufacturer" means a business engaged in the business of
12
selling, leasing, or otherwise supplying new electronics-enabled agricultural equipment
13
manufactured by or on behalf of itself to any individual or business.
14

(11) "Owner" means an individual or business that owns or has leased for use in this state,
15
electronics-enabled agricultural equipment.
16

(12) "Part" means any replacement part, either new or used, made available by an original
17
equipment manufacturer for purposes of effecting the service, maintenance or repair of electronics-
18
enabled agricultural equipment, manufactured by or on behalf of, sold or otherwise supplied by the
19
original equipment manufacturers, implemented by or with surrogate distributors.
20

(13) "Repair" means to maintain, diagnose, and repair machinery that results in the machine
21
being returned to its original specifications. Repair does not include performing any activities that
22
result in the machine being modified outside of the original equipment manufacturer specifications.
23
Specifically, repair does not include the ability to:
24

(i) Reset an immobilizer system or security-related electronic modules;
25

(ii) Reprogram any electronic processing units or engine control units and parameters;
26

(iii) Change any equipment or engine settings that negatively affect emissions or safety
27
compliance; or
28

(iv) Download or access the source code of any proprietary embedded software or code.
29

(14) "Surrogate distributor" means any independent dealership, wholesale distributor,
30
and/or any retail establishment, dealing in agricultural equipment.
31

(15) "Tool" means any software program, hardware implement, product service
32
demonstrations, training, seminars, clinics, on-board diagnostics via diagnostics port or wireless
33
interface, electronic field diagnostic service tools and training on how to use them, or other
34
apparatus used for diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment,

LC004801 - Page 3 of 6
1
including software or other mechanisms that provision, program, or pair a new part, calibrate
2
functionality, or perform any other function required to bring the product back to specifications.
3

(16) "Trade secret" shall have the same meaning as set forth in § 6-41-1.
4

6-63-3. Agricultural equipment manufacturer's duty.

5

For electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, and parts for such equipment, sold or used
6
in this state, an original equipment manufacturer shall make available, for purposes of diagnosis,
7
maintenance, or repair of such equipment, to any independent repair provider, or to the owner of
8
electronics-enabled agricultural equipment manufactured by or on behalf of, sold or otherwise
9
supplied by, the original equipment manufacturer, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation,
10
parts, and tools, inclusive of any updates to information or embedded software. Nothing in this
11
section requires an original equipment manufacturer to make available documentation, parts, and
12
tools if such documentation, parts, and/or tools are no longer available to the original equipment
13
manufacturer.
14

6-63-4. Trade secrets.

15

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require an original equipment manufacturer
16
to divulge a trade secret to an owner or an independent service provider, except as is necessary to
17
provide documentation, parts, and tools on fair and reasonable terms.
18

6-63-5. Warranty and recalls.

19

No provision in this chapter shall be construed to alter the terms of any arrangement in
20
force between an authorized repair provider and an original equipment manufacturer, including,
21
but not limited to, the performance or provision of warranty or recall repair work by an authorized
22
repair provider on behalf of an original equipment manufacturer pursuant to such arrangement,
23
except that any provision in such terms that purports to waive, avoid, restrict, or limit the original
24
equipment manufacturer's obligations to comply with the provisions of this chapter shall be void
25
and unenforceable.
26

6-63-6. Enforcement.

27

(a) Any person suffering a loss due to a violation of this chapter may bring a civil action to
28
recover actual damages, reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs.
29

(b) The attorney general may enforce the provisions of this chapter in an action for an
30
injunction or other equitable relief.
31

(c) Any action for damages pursuant to this chapter or to enforce the provisions of this
32
chapter shall be filed within three (3) years of the violation.

LC004801 - Page 4 of 6
1
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
========
LC004801
========

LC004801 - Page 5 of 6
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS --
AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT
***
1
This act would provide that original agricultural equipment manufacturers, implemented
2
by or with surrogate distributors, of agricultural equipment would provide to independent service
3
providers; repair information and tools to maintain and repair electronics-enabled agricultural
4
equipment.
5
This act would take effect upon passage.
========
LC004801
========

LC004801 - Page 6 of 6