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119-s-3068119th CongressWALLET

FARM Act

Sponsored By: Senator Welch, Peter [D-VT]

Introduced

Summary

Access to repair materials and data. The Freedom for Agricultural Repair and Maintenance Act would require original equipment manufacturers to provide owners and independent repair providers fair access to documentation, parts, software, firmware, tools, and the data generated by farm equipment. It also creates narrow copyright exceptions for repair and interoperability and limits forced disclosure of trade secrets.

Show full summary
  • Owners: Owners would be able to obtain parts, manuals, firmware, tools, and the data their machines generate, and they could authorize independent repair providers to receive that data.
  • Independent repair providers: Independent shops would gain the right to diagnostic and repair materials on fair and reasonable terms and could legally circumvent certain digital locks when needed for diagnosis, maintenance, or interoperability.
  • Manufacturers and enforcement: OEMs would have to supply required items on fair terms while protecting trade secrets. Violations would be treated as unfair practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act and subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per day for a first violation, $2,000 per day for a second, and $5,000 per day for third and later violations. The bill also directs the Federal Trade Commission to write rules under standard procedures and align them with applicable clean air and emissions standards.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Right to repair for farm owners

If enacted, the bill would require farm equipment makers to give owners and owner-authorized repair shops manuals, parts, software, firmware, and tools on fair and reasonable terms. Owners could get operational data from their equipment and let independent shops access it. The bill would allow bypassing digital locks when needed for repair, interoperability, or allowed security research. It would protect OEM trade secrets only to the extent needed and would not let repairs permanently turn off safety or emissions systems. The bill would use clear definitions to decide who and what is covered.

Federal enforcement and penalty rules

If enacted, the Federal Trade Commission would enforce the repair rules as unfair business practices and write implementing rules through public notice-and-comment. The FTC must make rules consistent with the Clean Air Act and related EPA rules. The bill would let the FTC seek civil penalties when makers stop offering required repair items: $1,000 per day for a first violation, $2,000 per day for a second, and $5,000 per day for a third and later violation.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Welch, Peter [D-VT]

VT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 10/28/2025

  • Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 10/28/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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