SB 242 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Equipment Right to Repair Act

SB 242, the Equipment Right to Repair Act, requires manufacturers of farm equipment (like tractors, combines, and harvesters) to provide independent repair shops and farm owners with necessary repair manuals, parts, and diagnostic tools after a new equipment warranty expires. It directly affects farmers who lease or own equipment and local repair businesses not affiliated with manufacturers. The bill prohibits manufacturers from sharing trade secrets or violating existing repair agreements, while allowing the Agriculture Commissioner to enforce compliance. The requirement applies for 50 years after an equipment’s original manufacture date.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Mar 6, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a single-sponsor introduction to a committee substitute version with expanded definitions and streamlined structure. The Committee version clarifies the scope of equipment covered, adds new definitions for firmware and independent repair providers, and modifies the effective date timeline. These changes make the right-to-repair provisions more precise and easier to enforce.

Scope change

The scope was narrowed slightly by removing forestry and lawn/garden equipment categories from the definition of 'Equipment', focusing primarily on farm equipment. The bill also removed the explicit mention of 'establishing prohibitions' from the bill's purpose statement.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Firmware', 'Independent repair provider', 'Original equipment manufacturer', 'Owner', 'Part', 'Tools', and 'Trade secret' to clarify who is covered and what terms mean.

REQUIREMENT

Simplified the 'Equipment' definition to focus only on farm equipment, removing separate categories for forestry and lawn/garden equipment.

Removed the requirement that documentation be provided at no charge; now allows reasonable actual costs for physical copies.

Added a 50-year limit on when manufacturers must provide documentation, parts, and tools after the original manufacture date.

Added explicit limitation that manufacturers cannot be required to divulge trade secrets to owners or independent repair providers.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from an unspecified date to July 1, 2025, with the law expiring on July 1, 2028.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for the Commissioner to propose rules and establish administrative mechanisms for resolving violations and collecting penalties.

Strengthened injunctive relief provisions by removing the requirement for a bond to obtain court orders.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

To Judiciary

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported, but first to Judiciary

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

To Agriculture

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

To Agriculture then Judiciary

upper

0 primary · 1 co-sponsor