Colorado House Oks Right to Repair

2/21/23

(DENVER, CO) – Today, the Colorado House of Representatives passed HB23-1011—Consumer Right to Repair Agricultural Equipment with a vote of 44-17. This bill requires that manufacturers allow the owners of agricultural equipment and independent mechanics access to diagnostic capabilities while protecting the intellectual property of the manufacturers, including not allowing tampering of important pollution controls.

The passage of this bill in the Colorado House of Representatives is a huge step forward for farmers and ranchers that have been advocating for their right to repair their own equipment for some time. Numerous other states and the federal government have all attempted to pass right to repair bills in the past but have yet to succeed. Successful passage of this bill by the Colorado Senate and a signature by Governor Polis will allow farmers and ranchers to continue providing a safe, stable food supply, as well as allow expansion of independent mechanic jobs in our small, rural communities.

“Thanks to technological advancements in modern equipment, less than two percent of the U.S. population not only feeds the rest of the country but exports surplus to world markets,” said Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Chad Franke. “However, when this equipment breaks down, farmers and ranchers should have the ability to diagnose and repair their equipment themselves or through independent mechanics, not just through manufacturer authorized mechanics which are no longer located in small rural communities. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union applauds the passage of HB23-1011 by the Colorado House of Representatives.”

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union is a general farm organization whose 17,000 member families have an interest in production agriculture in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Contact: Bob Kjelland    970-397-0039     bob.kjelland@rmfu.org