Giving Farmers the "Right to Repair " Delaware Senate Republicans

State Rep. Rich Collins

June 6, 2025

Newly introduced legislation would give farmers the legal right to repair their agricultural equipment. Traditionally, many farmers have also been their own mechanics, performing routine maintenance and making essential repairs to keep their machinery running. However, as farm equipment has evolved to include complex software and digital systems, manufacturers have increasingly imposed legal and technical restrictions that prevent owners from fixing their machines or using independent repair services. These barriers include software locks, restricted repair manuals, and limited access to diagnostic tools and replacement parts. Manufacturers have argued that their actions are justified, saying unauthorized repairs could lead to hacking or tampering and that granting full repair access could expose trade secrets and proprietary technology. But farmers say manufacturers are creating monopolies on repairs, inflating costs, and increasing downtime. When a tractor or combine breaks down during planting or harvesting, the inability to promptly get critical machinery back in operation places farm profitability at risk. Farmers say they own the equipment and should have the right to service it and better control their destiny. The Delaware Agricultural Right to Repair Act seeks to restore lost consumer rights. "In many ways, I think farming is more challenging than it has ever been," said State Rep. Rich Collins (R-Millsboro), the prime sponsor of the proposal. "Restricting repair access has become a profit center for equipment manufacturers, and it's imposed higher costs on farmers and increased their risk when equipment inevitably fails. This bill seeks to level the playing field and give farmers back the latitude and flexibility they need to operate." The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by State Reps. Jesse Vanderwende (R-Greenwood, Bridgeville) and Charles Postles (R-Milford North), who are among the few state lawmakers actively engaged in farming. The bill would require manufacturers to provide independent technicians and equipment owners with reasonable access to the information, tools, and parts needed to diagnose and repair their machinery. Among its key provisions, the legislation would prohibit “parts pairing”—a practice where software prevents the use of third-party replacement parts. It would also ban manufacturers from disabling equipment components, reducing machine functionality, or issuing misleading alerts in response to repairs not conducted by company-approved technicians. The right to repair movement has started to gain traction nationally, not only with farm equipment but with consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and other product categories. While dozens of states have introduced legislation on the issue in recent years, Colorado is the only one thus far to enact a law dealing specifically with agricultural equipment. The Delaware proposal is currently pending action in the House Agriculture Committee.

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