Prairie State Wire

Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-Schaumburg) filed House Bill 3061 (Digital Right to Repair Act) in response to a U.S. PIRG report that revealed farmers lack the resources to sufficiently repair tractors purchased from John Deere and other manufacturers.

“Without the software tools needed to diagnose problems, install replacement parts and authorize repairs, the engagement or failure of any sensor or control system forces a farmer to either haul their machine into the nearest dealership or wait for a field technician to arrive to complete the repair,” the report reads.

When enacted into law, the Digital Right to Repair Act would require manufacturers to provide farmers with the same needed materials available to official repair providers, by 2022.

It would further oblige them to make the parts that are necessary for repair, including software, available for purchase.

“The Association of Equipment Manufacturers, of which John Deere is a prominent member, promised that by 2021, they would give farmers the necessary tools to fix their machinery. However, Deere has fallen short of that commitment, so farmers – and all Americans, who rely on them to produce food – are worse off,” U.S. PIRG Education Fund Right to Repair Advocate Kevin O'Reilly said in a release, according to Capitol News Illinois.