Equipment Right to Repair Act

SB 97, the Equipment Right to Repair Act, requires manufacturers of farm equipment sold or used in West Virginia to provide independent repair shops and equipment owners with necessary documentation, tools, and firmware access after a new equipment warranty expires. It directly affects farmers, independent repair businesses, and manufacturers of agricultural machinery like tractors, harvesters, and sprayers (excluding road vehicles). Key provisions mandate that manufacturers make available repair manuals, diagnostic tools, security codes, and firmware updates to non-affiliated repair providers or owners, ensuring they can maintain or fix equipment without manufacturer restrictions. The bill establishes the Agriculture Commissioner as the enforcing authority and defines terms like "independent repair provider" and "embedded software" to clarify requirements. This law aims to increase repair options and reduce costs for agricultural operations by standardizing access to repair resources.