Skip to content
Govbase
Govbase
Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7850

Rep. Spartz Introduces Farm Freedom to Repair Act to Help Farmers Fix Their Own Tractors

Farm Freedom to Repair Act

18 days ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill would change federal copyright law to let farmers, independent mechanics, and repair shops legally bypass digital locks on farm equipment for the purpose of diagnosing problems, maintaining, or repairing machines like tractors and combines.

    From policy text

    “it is not a violation of that subsection for a person, for the purpose of the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic agricultural equipment, to circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title.”
    View in full text
  • The bill also makes it legal to build, import, and sell the tools, software, and parts needed to get around these digital locks — opening the door for independent repair businesses to compete with manufacturer-authorized dealers.

    From policy text

    “it is not a violation of that subsection for a person, for the purpose of the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic agricultural equipment, to manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof described in that subsection.”
    View in full text
  • The law would apply broadly to any farm equipment that depends on digital electronics to function, covering modern tractors, harvesters, irrigation systems, and other digitally controlled machinery.

    From policy text

    “the term `digital electronic agricultural equipment' means any agricultural product dependent, in whole or in part, upon attached or embedded digital electronics to function.”
    View in full text
  • The bill works by amending Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which currently makes it illegal to circumvent technological protection measures — even when the goal is simply to fix equipment you own.

    From policy text

    “Section 1201 of title 17, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection”
    View in full text
AgricultureTechnology Digital

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 5, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Mar 5, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon enactment

If enacted, the new DMCA exemption for farm equipment repair takes effect immediately

Farmers and independent repair shops would be legally allowed to bypass digital locks on farm equipment from the moment the bill is signed into law, with no phase-in period.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Farm Freedom to Repair Act

Bill NumberHR 7850
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.