Farmers win the right to fix their own equipment without manufacturer permission

What it does

The FARM Act requires agricultural equipment manufacturers (like John Deere) to sell repair parts, diagnostic tools, software, and repair documentation to independent repair shops and equipment owners at fair prices and terms. It prevents manufacturers from locking repairs to their own authorized dealers, blocking third-party parts, or charging excessive fees for diagnostic software. The bill carves out trade secrets and safety/emissions compliance.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is straightforward: it mandates that farm equipment manufacturers provide repair access on fair terms to independent providers and owners. This is a consumer-protection / competition measure, not a tax provision, subsidy, or commemorative act.

What the text implies

• Manufacturers may respond by raising equipment prices upfront to offset lost service-revenue lock-in, shifting repair-cost savings to purchase-price increases.
• The 'fair and reasonable terms' standard is defined in the bill but will require FTC rulemaking and enforcement; disputes over what constitutes 'fair' pricing or 'commonly available' tools may generate litigation.
• Firmware and software updates are covered, potentially exposing manufacturers to liability if independent repairs cause equipment to fall out of emissions compliance — the bill carves this out but the boundary may be contested.
• The bill does not address data ownership or privacy; farmers' equipment-generated data may still be controlled by manufacturers even if repairs are independent.

Who it affects

Farmers and independent repair shops gain the right to repair equipment they own without being forced into expensive manufacturer-authorized service networks. This lowers repair costs, increases competition, and restores consumer choice — a direct public benefit. Manufacturers retain protection for genuine trade secrets and safety systems.

Who stands to gain

• independent farm equipment repair shops
• farm equipment owners and operators
• aftermarket parts suppliers

Named in the bill

Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), farm equipment (combines, tractors, sprayers, pivots, implements), John Deere (implied primary target), AGCO Corporation (implied primary target), CNH Industrial (implied primary target), Section 1201 of Title 17 (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), Section 18 of Federal Trade Commission Act, Clean Air Act, 40 CFR 1068.101 (emissions regulations)

Where it stands

2 cosponsors: 2 Democrats.

• Oct 28, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Oct 28, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

5 lobbying clients named this bill on 9 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $3,690,409 in lobbying spend. A filing names 30 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 78% of bills with at least one filing.

Peter Welch, the sponsor, reported $44,000 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Association of Equipment Manufacturers — $1,790,000 on 2 filings
• American Farm Bureau Fed — $720,409 on 3 filings
• Case New Holland Industrial Inc — $680,000 on 2 filings
• American Fed of Government Employees AFL-CIO — $390,000 on 1 filing
• Associated Equipment Distributors — $110,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.