Bill

Bill > A4528


NJ A4528

Concerns right to repair farm equipment and lawn mowers.


summary

Introduced
10/15/2018
In Committee
10/15/2018
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/08/2020

Introduced Session

2018-2019 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 farm equipment and lawn mowers with repair providers other than the original manufacturer. It requires manufacturers to make available the same diagnostic, service, and repair documentation, as well as parts, to independent repair providers and owners as they do to authorized repair providers. The bill also prohibits manufacturers from requiring authorized repair providers to purchase documentation in a proprietary format if a standardized format is available. Additionally, the bill mandates that manufacturers make available all necessary diagnostic repair tools to independent repair providers and owners under fair and reasonable terms. The bill imposes a civil penalty of up to $500 for each violation. The purpose is to increase consumer choice and competition in the repair market for farm equipment and lawn mowers.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee (on 10/15/2018)

bill text


bill summary

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