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Right-to-repair bill being considered in South Dakota Legislature

A right to repair bill that’s been introduced in the South Dakota Legislature would allow farmers to make their own repairs to ag equipment.

Mitch Richter, the lobbyist for South Dakota Farmers Union, tells Brownfield “that’s one of the big issues that Farmers Union is going to be following and working on this session.”

But Richter says House Bill 1269 limits what farmers can repair.

“It includes ag equipment, but doesn’t include snowmobiles, four-by-fours or other equipment that you might find on a farm.”

The U.S. EPA has recently clarified how existing federal law applies to repairing farm and other non-diesel equipment. Richter says the clarification confirms the need for a deeper discussion at the state level.

“I think it says listen, this is necessary. We certainly want to work with everybody and I think that shines a little more light on the issue and we should be talking about it.”

The South Dakota House Ag and Natural Resources Committee is expected to hear the bill soon.