Acting as your voice on Capitol Hill, the MRAA Government Relations team assures that the recreational boating industry, and the perspective of dealers it serves, is heard and respected. From discussions around supporting important conservation programs, reauthorizing keystone programs like the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, or advocating for more boating-related infrastructure, we make certain Congress works for you.
As a boat dealer and small business owner we understand that your time is at a premium. Between dealing with customers, scheduling demos, getting boats in the water and other tasks, the smallest change to your business means big work. To help you focus on making sales and keeping customers boating and happy, the MRAA is dedicated maintaining a favorable regulatory environment for you and your dealership.
Access is necessary for the success of boating and your business relies on boating. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed vessel speed restrictions for boats 35 to 65 feet in length, imposing the single largest impediment to recreational boating access in history! Unfortunately, more proposals of this type are on the horizon. We understand they will hurt the boating industry and ultimately your livelihood, so that’s why the MRAA will champion against these harmful regulations.
FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES
Acting as your voice on Capitol Hill, the MRAA Government Relations team assures that the recreational boating industry, and the perspective of dealers it serves, is heard and respected. From discussions around supporting important conservation programs, reauthorizing keystone programs like the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, or advocating for more boating-related infrastructure, we make certain Congress works for you.
As a boat dealer and small business owner we understand that your time is at a premium. Between dealing with customers, scheduling demos, getting boats in the water and other tasks, the smallest change to your business means big work. To help you focus on making sales and keeping customers boating and happy, the MRAA is dedicated maintaining a favorable regulatory environment for you and your dealership.
Access is necessary for the success of boating and your business relies on boating. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed vessel speed restrictions for boats 35 to 65 feet in length, imposing the single largest impediment to recreational boating access in history! Unfortunately, more proposals of this type are on the horizon. We understand they will hurt the boating industry and ultimately your livelihood, so that’s why the MRAA will champion against these harmful regulations.
To ensure that you can operate your business and keep your customers on the water after a natural disaster or extreme-weather event, the MRAA is committed to policies that will facilitate building resilience into your business.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, roughly 40-60 percent of small businesses never reopen following a disaster. Research shows that every dollar the government spends on disaster mitigation — such as improving existing infrastructure or elevating homes and businesses — saves taxpayers an average of $6 for every $1 the Federal Government spends on mitigation measures. It’s important because the economic impact of disasters have cost the U.S. more than $800 billion in the last decade.
Passing the Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act. PREPARE Act (H.R. 2966/ S. 1370)
The PREPARE Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation, would authorize a program allowing the Small Business Administration to make low-interest, fixed-rate loans of up to $500,000 to small businesses to invest in pre-disaster mitigation. These funds would allow MRAA members to protect their facilities, real estate and inventory from increasingly common natural disasters and extreme-weather events.
Clean waterways, healthy fisheries and access to both helps keep you in business. When customers stop at your dealership, marina or accessory store, that is just the first step in their journey as they prepare for a day on the water. We understand, and it’s why we support federal policy that will help both conserve and bolster our natural resources while generating more opportunities to recreate.
It is no secret that the majority of fishing trips take place on a boat and for many dealers, it is a major sales driver. Understanding the importance healthy fisheries have for your business, the MRAA is focused on working with Congress to put in place policies and programs that will bolster our nations recreational fisheries while simultaneously creating opportunities for new anglers to get engaged.
As the United States continues to diversify its energy portfolio and lean more into offshore wind, the MRAA aims to maintain boating access, protect important recreational fisheries and assure coastal communities benefit from this new development.
Government Relations Manager
chad@mraa.com
202-737-9779
President
matt@mraa.com
Fill out this form to show your interest in supporting the MRAA and its advocacy efforts in protecting the marine industry, recreational boating, your dealership and more.
Fill out this form to show your interest in supporting the MRAA and its advocacy efforts in protecting the marine industry, recreational boating, your dealership and more.
