LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Several “Right to Repair” bills have been introduced into the Michigan legislature. House Bill 4562 and House Bill 4673, among five other state-level bills, would mandate that manufacturers of electronics and agricultural machinery make repair information available and repair parts affordable.

Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township) is sponsoring HB 4673, which focuses on agricultural equipment. She said her bill was written after local Farm Bureau constituents brought the issue to her attention.

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“Farmers deserve to be able to repair their equipment plain and simple, they need to do this promptly because time is so crucial,” she said.

Legislative Counsel Andrew Vermeesch with the Michigan Farm Bureau told Brownfield Agricultural News that their organization views Right to Repair as a national rather than local issue.

“Our members gave us direction and through efforts with American Farm Bureau have been working with the manufacturers to address this,” he said. “I think farmers got a really big win when American Farm Bureau and John Deere came up with this agreement that essentially established a framework that enables farmers and independent repair facilities to have access to this essential equipment.”

This agreement, formally designated a memorandum of understanding (MOU), was signed at the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Puerto Rico. The MOU committed John Deere to ensuring that farmers and independent repair facilities could access diagnostic tools and information required to repair their machines.

Currently, Michigan Farm Bureau is not taking a position on the state-level issue. Vermeesch says their organization would like agreements made with equipment manufacturers and American Farm Bureau Federation to be fully implemented before the legislature intervenes.

Earlier this year, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 attorneys general, calling on Congress to pass similar legislation on the federal level.

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“The monopoly on repairs hurts consumers,” Nessel said. “Original Equipment Manufacturers restrict competition for repair services by limiting the availability of parts, making diagnostic software unavailable, or using adhesives that make parts difficult to replace, all of which can result in higher product and repair prices.”

The Repair Association, a site dedicated to supporting Right to Repair, reports that 26 states are currently debating Right to Repair bills. Four more have passed the legislation.

HB 4562 is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Coleman (D-Westland). Additional state-level bills include SB 341 – Sen. Joe Bellino, Jr (R-Monroe), SB 342 – Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), HB 4609 – Rep. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington), HB 4650 – Rep. Dale Zorn (R-Onsted), and HB 4651 – Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit).