Bill

Bill > A1311


NJ A1311

NJ A1311
Concerns right to repair farm equipment and lawn mowers.


summary

Introduced
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026-2027 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill establishes the right to repair farm equipment and lawn mowers with repair providers other than the original manufacturer. This essentially allows independent repair providers, owners, and authorized repair providers to have the same access to diagnostic repair information for farm equipment and lawn mowers. Specifically, the bill requires a manufacturer of farm equipment or lawn mowers sold, offered for sale, or used in this State to make available to any independent repair provider or owner the same diagnostic, service, or repair documentation at no charge or in the same manner and in the same timeframe as the manufacturer makes the documentation available to an authorized repair provider. The bill also requires a manufacturer to provide farm equipment, lawn mowers, or service parts for purchase by the owner, an authorized agent, or any independent repair provider. A manufacturer is not required to sell parts that are no longer available. The bill prohibits a manufacturer that sells farm equipment or lawn mower diagnostic, service, or repair documentation in a standardized format from requiring an authorized repair provider to purchase it in a proprietary format unless the proprietary format includes documentation or functionality that is not available in the standardized format. Under the bill, a manufacturer of farm equipment or lawn mowers sold, offered for sale, or used in this State is to make available for purchase by independent repair providers and owners all diagnostic repair tools incorporating the same diagnostic, repair, and remote communications capabilities that the manufacturer makes available to its own repair or engineering staff or any authorized repair provider. A manufacturer is also required to offer tools for sale to an independent repair provider or owner under fair and reasonable terms. Farm equipment or lawn mowers with security-related functions are required to include diagnostic, service, and repair documentation necessary to reset a security-related electronic function. In the alternative, the manufacturer is to provide the documentation necessary to reset an immobilizer system or security-related electronic module through the appropriate secure data release systems. The bill imposes a civil penalty of not more than $500 for each violation of its provisions. It is increasingly difficult to repair lawn mowers and farm equipment, such as tractors, without going directly to the manufacturer. This puts consumers at a disadvantage because fewer repair options are available and market competition is decreased.

AI Summary

This bill establishes the "right to repair" for farm equipment and lawn mowers, allowing owners and independent repair providers access to the same diagnostic information, tools, and parts that manufacturers provide to their authorized repair providers. This means that if a manufacturer sells farm equipment or lawn mowers in the state, they must make available all necessary diagnostic, service, and repair documentation, including updates to embedded software (the internal operating system and instructions that allow the equipment to function), to anyone who needs to fix it, and at the same time and cost as they provide it to their authorized repair partners. Manufacturers must also sell replacement parts and diagnostic tools under "fair and reasonable terms," which means at a price that is equitable considering various factors like cost and market rates, and they cannot require authorized repair providers to buy information in a proprietary format if a standardized version exists with the same functionality. For equipment with security features, manufacturers must provide the documentation to reset those functions, or offer it through secure systems. Violations of this bill can result in a civil penalty of up to $500 per offense. The bill aims to increase repair options, foster competition, and prevent consumers from being forced to rely solely on manufacturers for repairs, which has become increasingly difficult and costly.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (3)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee (on 01/13/2026)

bill text


bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...