As a dealer, customers look to you as a leader within the recreational boating community, and for that reason it is important you champion safe boating practices and compliance with all state and local laws and regulations. Ultimately, we want you to feel confident as a business owner and your customers to feel the same […]
Author: Chad Tokowicz
Victory for Boat Dealers: Florida Amends Livery Insurance Requirements
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on June 12, 2023, signed SB 418 repealing insurance requirements for boat liveries and absolves them from purchasing insurance to cover rental customers. This is a victory for Florida boat dealers. During the 2022 legislative session, the 2022 Florida Boating Safety Act (HB 493) passed, requiring boat rental facilities to insure […]
Oversight Hearing on NOAA’s Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule
A significant Oversight Hearing was held today by the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule. The hearing addressed the potential impact of the proposed rule on both marine wildlife and the recreational marine industry. The […]
Minnesota Passes Mandatory Boater Education Legislation
Program to equip boaters with the knowledge and skills to create safer waterways A bill, establishing a new Mandatory Boater Education Program, has been passed in Minnesota. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is delighted to celebrate the passage because a similar effort failed in the final hours in Minnesota’s 2022 legislative session. […]
Boaters Beware: E15 At Pumps This Boating Season
This boating season it is going to be imperative to pay attention at the pump, as an emergency waiver issued by the EPA will allow E15, a harmful fuel for boat engines, to be sold throughout the summer. E15, or gasoline that uses a 15 percent ethanol blend, is a widespread, common fuel type that […]
A New Restriction May be on the Horizon for Gulf Coast Boating: Petition to Establish Rice’s Whale Vessel Speed Zone
Impediments to boating access, in the forms of mandatory speed zones or restrictions on boat type or activity, stand to have a major impact on your business by either keeping boaters off the water or disincentivizing folks from buying boats. As the proposed Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule, which would mandate a 10-knot speed restriction […]
MRAA, MTAs Seek Monitoring Technology to Counter Right Whale Rule
With the support of 17 state and national marine trades associations, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas submitted a letter to members of the House and Senate Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) to stall proposed changes to the onerous Right Whale Rule. MRAA and its MTA colleagues asked Committee members […]
Legislation Could Boost Economy; Help More Americans Access Outdoor Recreation
The reintroduction of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act in the 118th Congress boosts local and national economies and gives more Americans — especially those in underserved areas — greater access to green spaces, public lands and waters while not costing taxpayers money to implement.
Your Voice Moves the Needle – Help Stop Imposter Schemes!
Fraud and impersonation scams are a growing problem with increasing frequency and greater levels of sophistication. Unfortunately, due to the pervasive nature of these scams some of our very own MRAA members and staff have fallen victims to these scams. These impersonation scams manifest themselves a wide-range range of ways, from someone texting you impersonating […]
FTC Safeguards Rule Deadline Extended Six Months
• Dealers & Financial Institutions Must Comply by June 9, 2023 November 15, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that the deadline to comply with updates to the Safeguards Rule is now pushed back by six months, to June 9, 2023. Originally, businesses had to comply with the updated Safeguards Rule by December 9 of […]