The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas submitted comment to a newly proposed policy statement on repair restrictions by manufacturers and sellers by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Following President Joe Biden’s July 9 Executive Order, Promoting Competition in the American Economy, the FTC announced an open meeting of the Commission on July 21. Before the Commission are three items of business, of which the proposed policy statement on repair restrictions imposed by manufacturers and sellers, or in layman’s terms “Right to Repair,” is of particular interest to the MRAA.
MRAA has long been involved in pushing back against state-level “Right to Repair” legislation, which aims to give unrestricted access to a machine’s embedded software and digital componentry. While Right to Repair advocates are oftentimes focused on having the ability to repair their own iPhone, computers, and other similar tech devices, these sweeping changes would encompass everything from boat engines and radar to medical devices and farm equipment.
“While we appreciate the opportunity to provide input on the proposed policy statement, we hope that the Commission takes into account the outcry and discontent from various stakeholders as well,” said Chad Tokowicz, Government Relations Manager at the MRAA. “Although we support giving recreational boaters the tools and know-how to fix their own vessels, we cannot ignore glaring safety and emissions concerns and hope the Commission will work with the industry to remedy these issues.”
MRAA has been working closely with the Coalition Opposed to Illegal Tampering over the past two years and has weighed in on Right to Repair legislation in at least four states. Although Right to Repair legislation was introduced in 14 states in 2021, the bills faced stiff criticism and not a single iteration passed into law. With the recent Executive Order, various state bills, and even Federal legislation, MRAA asks the Commission to include the association in their rulemaking process to address concerns from the marine industry and others.
“The Coalition Opposed to Illegal Tampering supports end-users repairing their own equipment, but we cannot stand by as legislation, executive orders, and regulation is proposed which would encourage and foster illegal tampering of safety and emissions standards,” said Josh Evans, Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel for the Equipment Dealers Association. “We must educate our government and the public on the consequences of this type of legislation. To date, the bills and regulation introduced would compromise consumer safety and the environment under the guise of saving a few dollars.”
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, contact us at 763-315-8043.
