To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide for the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic agricultural equipment.

House Bill

H.R. 7850

119th Congress

To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide for the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic agricultural equipment.

In Committee

Introduced:Mar 5, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Victoria Spartz

R - IN

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This bill would give farmers and independent repair shops the legal right to fix modern farming equipment that contains digital software and electronics. Currently, copyright laws often prevent farmers from repairing their own tractors and other high-tech agricultural machinery, forcing them to use expensive manufacturer-authorized services. The legislation aims to change copyright law to explicitly allow farmers to diagnose, maintain, and repair their own equipment.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Introduced3/5/2026

StatusReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide for the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic agricultural equipment.

This bill would give farmers and independent repair shops the legal right to fix modern farming equipment that contains digital software and electronics. Currently, copyright laws often prevent farmers from repairing their own tractors and other high-tech agri

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill would give farmers and independent repair shops the legal right to fix modern farming equipment that contains digital software and electronics. Currently, copyright laws often prevent farmers from repairing their own tractors and other high-tech agricultural machinery, forcing them to use expensive manufacturer-authorized services. The legislation aims to change copyright law to explicitly allow farmers to diagnose, maintain, and repair their own equipment.

Bill Number: 7850
Introduced: 3/5/2026
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide for the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic agricultural equipment.
Bill Number: 7850
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced: 3/5/2026
Summary: This bill would give farmers and independent repair shops the legal right to fix modern farming equipment that contains digital software and electronics. Currently, copyright laws often prevent farmers from repairing their own tractors and other high-tech agricultural machinery, forcing them to use

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would give farmers and independent repair shops the legal right to fix modern farming equipment that contains digital software and electronics. Currently, copyright laws often prevent farmers from repairing their own tractors and other high-tech agricultural machinery, forcing them to use expensive manufacturer-authorized services. The legislation aims to change copyright law to explicitly allow farmers to diagnose, maintain, and repair their own equipment.

Last updated: 3/6/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Empowers farmers to repair their own digital farming equipment without violating copyright laws that protect manufacturers' software
Could significantly reduce repair costs and downtime for farmers who currently must wait for authorized technicians or pay premium service fees
Addresses the 'right to repair' debate in agriculture, where modern tractors and equipment contain sophisticated computer systems that manufacturers lock down
Would apply to digital electronic agricultural equipment, potentially covering tractors, combines, GPS systems, and other computerized farm machinery
Represents a narrow carve-out in copyright law specifically for the agricultural sector

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily benefit farmers and ranchers across America, particularly those operating small to medium-sized farms who face significant expenses when equipment breaks down during critical planting or harvest seasons. Independent repair shops in rural communities would also gain new business opportunities. The legislation would likely face opposition from major agricultural equipment manufacturers who currently control repair services and argue that proprietary software protections are necessary for equipment performance and safety.

Policy Areas

No policy areas assigned yet.

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

7850, 119th Congress (2026). "To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide for the diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic agricultural equipment.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-hr-7850

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