2022 -- H 7535

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LC004765

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS

AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Hull, McGaw, Carson, Kislak, Alzate,
Phillips, Cardillo, Marszalkowski, and Ackerman

     Date Introduced: February 18, 2022

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 6 of the General Laws entitled "COMMERCIAL LAW - GENERAL

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REGULATORY PROVISIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 59

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AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT

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     6-59-1. Short title.

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     This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Agricultural Equipment Right to

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Repair Act".

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     6-59-2. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) "Authorized repair provider" means an individual or business who is affiliated with an

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original equipment manufacturer and who has an arrangement with the original equipment

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manufacturer, for a definite or indefinite period, under which the original equipment manufacturer

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grants to the individual or business a license to use a trade name, service mark, or other proprietary

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identifier for the purposes of offering the services of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of

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electronics-enabled agricultural equipment under the name of the original equipment manufacturer,

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or other arrangement with the original equipment manufacturer to offer such services on behalf of

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the original equipment manufacturer. An original equipment manufacturer who offers the services

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of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of its own electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, shall be

 

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considered an authorized repair provider with respect to such equipment;

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     (2) "Documentation" means any manual, diagram, reporting output, service code

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description, schematic, product guides, product service demonstrations, training seminars, clinics,

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fleet management information, connected support, mobile applications, on-board diagnostics via

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diagnostics port or wireless interface, or other guidance or information on service, parts, operation,

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safety, electronic field diagnostic service tools, or training for use in effecting the services of

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diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment;

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     (3) "Electronics-enabled agricultural equipment" or "equipment" means any product, part

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of a product, or attachment to a product, when sold or leased for use in farming, ranching, or other

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agriculture, that depends for its functioning, in whole or in part, on digital electronics embedded in

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or attached to it. The term includes, but is not limited to, a tractor, trailer, combine, tillage, planting,

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irrigation, or cultivating implement, baler, unmanned aircraft system, or off-road vehicle.

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Electronics-enabled agricultural equipment or equipment does not include motor vehicles, and does

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not include consumer electronic devices, including wireless communication devices and

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computers;

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      (4) "Embedded software" means any programmable instructions provided on firmware

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delivered with electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, or with a part for such equipment, for

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purposes of equipment operation, including all relevant patches and fixes made available by the

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manufacturer of such equipment or part for such purposes;

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     (5) "Fair and reasonable terms for obtaining a part, a tool, documentation, or software"

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means at fair and reasonable costs and terms that do not impair the contracts and agreements

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between authorized repair providers affiliated with the original equipment manufacturer. Fair and

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reasonable terms shall not include additional cost or burden not reasonably necessary, or designed

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to be an impediment on the independent repair provider or equipment owner.

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     (6) "Fair and reasonable terms for software tools" means permitting or effecting the

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diagnosis, maintenance, or repair and enabling full functionality of electronics-enabled agricultural

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equipment without requiring authorization or Internet access, or in a manner that impairs the

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efficient and cost-effective performance of any of those activities unless authorization is required

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to prevent access to source code or infringement of intellectual property in software or hardware

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that is owned and licensed to the original equipment manufacturer by a third party and subject to

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terms of use;

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     (7) "Firmware" means a software program or set of instructions programmed on

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electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, or on a part for such equipment, to allow the equipment

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or part to communicate within itself or with other computer hardware;

 

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     (8) "Independent repair provider" means an individual or business operating in this state,

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that does not have an arrangement with an original equipment manufacturer, and is not affiliated

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with any individual or business which has such an arrangement with an original equipment

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manufacturer, and is engaged in the service of, diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-

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enabled agricultural equipment. An original equipment manufacturer, individual or business which

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has a service or repair arrangement with another original equipment manufacturer, shall be

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considered an independent repair provider for purposes of those instances in which it engages in

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the service of, diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment that

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is not manufactured by or sold under the independent repair provider's brand name;

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     (9) "Motor vehicle" shall have the same meaning as set forth in § 31-1-3;

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     (10) "Original equipment manufacturer" means a business engaged in the business of

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selling, leasing, or otherwise supplying new electronics-enabled agricultural equipment

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manufactured by or on behalf of itself, to any individual or business;

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     (11) "Owner" means an individual or business that owns or has leased for use in this state

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electronics-enabled agricultural equipment;

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     (12) "Part" means any replacement part, either new or used, made available by an original

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equipment manufacturer for purposes of effecting the service, maintenance or repair of electronics-

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enabled agricultural equipment manufactured by or on behalf of, sold or otherwise supplied by the

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original equipment manufacturer;

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     (13) "Repair" means to maintain, diagnose, and repair machinery that results in the machine

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being returned to its original specifications. Repair does not include performing any activities that

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result in the machine being modified outside of the original equipment manufacturer specifications.

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Specifically, repair does not include the ability to:

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     (i) Reset an immobilizer system or security-related electronic modules;

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     (ii) Reprogram any electronic processing units or engine control units and parameters;

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     (iii) Change any equipment or engine settings that negatively affect emissions or safety

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compliance; or

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     (iv) Download or access the source code of any proprietary embedded software or code.

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     (14) "Tool" means any software program, hardware implement, product service

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demonstrations, training, seminars, clinics, on-board diagnostics via diagnostics port or wireless

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interface, electronic field diagnostic service tools and training on how to use them, or other

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apparatus used for diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment,

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including software or other mechanisms that provision, program, or pair a new part, calibrate

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functionality, or perform any other function required to bring the product back to specifications.

 

LC004765 - Page 3 of 5

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     (15) "Trade secret" shall have the same meaning as set forth in § 6-41-1.

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     6-59-3. Agricultural equipment manufacturer's duty.

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     For electronics-enabled agricultural equipment, and parts for such equipment, sold or used

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in this state, an original equipment manufacturer shall make available, for purposes of diagnosis,

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maintenance, or repair of such equipment, to any independent repair provider, or to the owner of

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electronics-enabled agricultural equipment manufactured by or on behalf of, sold or otherwise

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supplied by, the original equipment manufacturer, on fair and reasonable terms, documentation,

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parts, and tools, inclusive of any updates to information or embedded software. Nothing in this

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section requires an original equipment manufacturer to make available documentation, parts, and

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tools if such documentation, parts, and/or tools are no longer available to the original equipment

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manufacturer.

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     6-59-4. Trade secrets.

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     Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require an original equipment manufacturer

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to divulge a trade secret to an owner or an independent service provider except as necessary to

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provide documentation, parts, and tools on fair and reasonable terms.

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     6-59-5. Warranty and recalls.

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     No provision in this chapter shall be construed to alter the terms of any arrangement in

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force between an authorized repair provider and an original equipment manufacturer, including,

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but not limited to, the performance or provision of warranty or recall repair work by an authorized

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repair provider on behalf of an original equipment manufacturer pursuant to such arrangement,

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except that any provision in such terms that purports to waive, avoid, restrict, or limit the original

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equipment manufacturer's obligations to comply with the provision of this chapter shall be void

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and unenforceable.

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     6-59-6. Enforcement.

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     (a) Any person suffering loss due to a violation of this chapter may recover actual damages,

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reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs.

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     (b) The attorney general may enforce the provisions of this chapter in an action for an

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injunction or other equitable relief.

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     (c) Any action for damages pursuant to this chapter or to enforce the provisions of this

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chapter shall be filed within three (3) years of the violation.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW -- GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS

AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT

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     This act would provide that original equipment manufacturers of agricultural equipment

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would provide independent service providers repair information and tools to maintain and repair

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electronics of the agricultural equipment.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004765

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