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HB 1852

Definitions and general provisions; discrimination; definitions; antisemitism; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Avery Frix and 1 co-sponsor

Arkansas would grant farmers and independent repairers access to certain agricultural equipment tools, software, and docs on fair terms to enable independent repairs.

Referred to Rules
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Bill Summary · HB 1852

Summary — HB 1852 (95th Ark. Gen. Assembly, 2025)

Title: Appropriation; Department of Employment Security for funding the MS Connecting Career Technical Education Employability Program.
(Engrossed bill subtitle and content: “To establish a right to repair for certain agricultural equipment.”)

Purpose / Intent

HB 1852 would create a statutory “Right to Repair” for certain agricultural equipment in Arkansas by adding Subchapter 4 (4‑96‑401 et seq.) to Arkansas Code Title 4, Chapter 96. The bill’s stated intent is to:
- Improve farmers’ ability to control operation and upkeep of equipment;
- Assure timely availability, on “fair and reasonable” terms, of manufacturer-origin tools, specialty tools, software, and documentation and of operational data;
- Protect safety controls, manufacturers’ intellectual property, and compliance with federal/state emissions requirements.

Key provisions (as enacted/engrossed)

  • Adds a new Subchapter 4 — Right to Repair (sections 4‑96‑401 through at least 4‑96‑403).
  • Establishes definitions for: “agricultural equipment,” “farmer,” “manufacturer,” “authorized repair facility,” “independent repair facility,” “tool,” “specialty tool,” “embedded software,” “code,” “data,” “documentation,” and “fair and reasonable.”
    • “Agricultural equipment” is defined as products primarily designed for agricultural operations and located in Arkansas (amendment H2). Examples listed include tractors, combines, harvesting/tillage equipment, planters/irrigation implements, balers, and other off‑road agricultural vehicles.
    • Exclusions: motor vehicles primarily designed for public roadway transport, motorcycles, and Class 1 or Class 2 ATVs (amendment H1).
  • Manufacturer obligations (partial text provided): manufacturers must ensure that farmers, their staff, independent technicians retained by farmers, and independent repair facilities have electronic access, on fair and reasonable terms, to manufacturer tools, specialty tools, software, and documentation. Examples include:
    • Manuals (operation, parts, service);
    • Product service demonstrations, training, and clinics;
    • On‑board diagnostics via a diagnostics port or wireless interface.
  • Safeguards included in intent section: preserve manufacturer IP (including copyrighted software), avoid compromising safety controls, and ensure emissions‑control compliance (reference to Clean Air Act as of Jan 1, 2025).

Who would be affected

  • Farmers and farm employees (owners/lessees of agricultural equipment)
  • Independent repair facilities and independent technicians
  • Equipment manufacturers and authorized repair facilities
  • Potentially equipment dealers and parts distributors

Legislative history / status

  • Filed: Jan 15, 2025; primary sponsors: Sen. Stone and Rep. J. Moore (House amendments sponsored by Rep. J. Moore).
  • Passed the Arkansas House (3rd reading 04‑07‑2025), received in Senate 04‑08‑2025.
  • Amended twice in the House (Amendments H1 and H2 adopted, engrossed).
  • Referred to Senate AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; later referred to Criminal Jurisprudence per procedural record.
  • Final status: Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment (05‑05‑2025).

Potential impacts and notes

  • If enacted, the bill would broaden repair access for farmers, likely reducing equipment downtime and expanding independent service options.
  • It requires manufacturers to supply diagnostic access and materials under “fair and reasonable” terms, but the bill text provided is truncated; full implementation details (fees, security/anti‑tampering limits, enforcement mechanisms, warranty effects, penalties, privacy/data provisions) are not fully visible in the excerpt.
  • The bill includes explicit protections for manufacturer IP, vehicle safety, and emissions compliance, which may shape permitted scope of repair and software access.

Note: This summary is based on the engrossed bill text and amendments available in the legislative record; some sections of the bill text were truncated in the provided materials.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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