Fond Du Lac Times

The new bill authored by State Sen. Sarah Keyeski in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to establish the right to repair agricultural equipment by ensuring access to necessary documentation and tools, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "the right to repair agricultural equipment, and providing a penalty. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes the right to repair agricultural equipment by mandating manufacturers to provide owners and independent service providers access to necessary documentation, data, embedded software, firmware, parts, or tools at equitable costs and terms. The equipment covered under the bill primarily includes farm-related machinery but excludes vehicles for street transportation, aircraft, snowmobiles, personal watercraft, motorboats, and irrigation equipment. The bill exempts manufacturers from disclosing trade secrets but requires them to make essential repair information available. Manufacturers and equipment dealers are not liable for faulty repairs by independent providers or owners. Additionally, the bill includes penalties for non-compliance, allowing for restitution or state-imposed fines for violations. The policy will come into effect for agreements entered into, renewed, or modified after the bill's enactment date.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Jenna Jacobson (Democrat-50th District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (Democrat-27th District), Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Jill Billings (Democrat-95th District), and Representative Brienne Brown (Democrat-43rd District), along 21 other co-sponsors.

Sarah Keyeski has co-authored or authored another 17 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Keyeski graduated from Luther College in 1993 with a BA.

Keyeski, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2021 to represent the state's 14th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Joan Ballweg.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB148	03/21/2025	The right to repair agricultural equipment, and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB133	03/14/2025	Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE)
SB67	02/21/2025	Providing state aid to reimburse public and private schools that provide free meals to all pupils for the costs of those meals and making an appropriation. (FE)