The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its guidance in June on ways to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

With just under half the U.S. population fully vaccinated, the updated guidance focuses on protections for unvaccinated and otherwise at-risk workers.

“At-risk workers” are any employees who may have a condition that affects their ability to have a full immune response to the vaccination and those who cannot be protected through a vaccine, who cannot get vaccinated, or who cannot use a face covering.

The recommendations center on reducing the likelihood that an unvaccinated or at-risk worker comes into contact with COVID-19. The full set of recommendations can be found here. The first three recommendations are:

1. Grant paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.
2. Instruct any workers who are infected, unvaccinated workers who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and all workers with COVID-19 symptoms to stay home from work.
3. Implement physical distancing for unvaccinated and otherwise at-risk workers in all communal work areas.

“Boat retailers have been focused on the safety of their customers and staff throughout the pandemic, and it is encouraging to see OSHA provide updated guidance to assist employers,” said Chad Tokowicz, Government Relations Manager for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas.

Since the guidance is not a standard or regulation and only contains recommendations, there is no legal obligation follow the guidelines. Instead, it is intended to assist employers in identifying hazards likely to cause death or harm to their employees. Therefore, it is not required that you follow or institute these recommendations, instead they are suggestions to assure you are providing a safe workplace for all of your employees.

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.

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas wants to remind businesses in the marine industry who utilized Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans that the deadline to apply for forgiveness is fast approaching.

PPP loans provided a major relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving businesses additional funds for payroll and other expenses. To further reduce the burden on small businesses, the loans, if used correctly, may be forgiven altogether.

“We want to remind our members and others in the marine industry to, if eligible, apply for PPP Loan forgiveness,” said Chad Tokowicz, Government Relations Manager for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “While the PPP loans were helpful in injecting capital into many industry businesses, forgiveness is another important aspect of the program.”

In order to be forgiven, 60 percent of a PPP loan must be spent on payroll and the remaining 40 percent spent on other eligible expenses. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the second stimulus bill) expanded eligible expenses from rent, utilities and the interest portion of any mortgage payment to include:

• Operating Expenditures
• Property damage costs
• Supplier costs
• Worker protection expenditures

Timing and expenses are two of the most important aspects for PPP forgiveness. You must only spend the loan on eligible expenses and your application for forgiveness must be completed within the specified timeline. Borrowers can apply for forgiveness once all loan proceeds for which the borrower is requesting forgiveness has been used. Borrowers can also apply for forgiveness any time up to the maturity date of the loan.

Resources to complete the PPP Forgiveness application can be found here while the applications can be found here.

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.

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.

Our friends at Boating Ontario, have reported some fabulous news about the Ontario, Canada, regarding its “Roadmap to Reopening” plan. Ontario is entering Step Three of its reopening efforts at 12:01 a.m., Friday, July 16.

“Thank you members for working tirelessly to keep your families, staff and customers safe, all of your hard work is finally paying off! We can’t wait to reunite with you all!,” – Boating Ontario shared in its news about the reopening plan.

It was reported the public health and health care indicators are improving and vaccination rates have surpassed targets from Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen model, so the provincial government, with consult from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is moving the province into Step Three tomorrow.

Read the full release from Ontario Newsroom.  

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas submitted joint comments to the Washington state Department of Revenue (DOR) challenging their proposed increase in the Watercraft Excise Tax depreciation schedule.

MRAA joined regional and national groups challenging this proposal such as BoatUS, Recreational Boating Association of Washington, Northwest Marine Trade Association, Washington Retail Association, and Washington Maritime Federation. The watercraft excise tax applies to all registered boats in Washington state that are 16 feet or longer or equipped with a motor capacity of more than 10 horsepower. The tax is paid annually and is currently 0.5% of the boat’s fair market value, however, the DOR is proposing to update the depreciation schedule which will ultimately result in boatowners paying more.

“While we greatly appreciate the Bureau of Revenue accepting comments on the proposed depreciation schedule, we hope that they can understand the burden this change will put on boat owners throughout the state,” Said Chad Tokowicz Government Relations Manager at the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “Boat owners in the state already pay their fair share through registration and other fees and according to 2019 data 61% of boat owners in America earn $70,000 a year or less.”

The proposed rule would create depreciation categories for powerboats, personal watercraft, and sailboats, and are much lower compared to depreciation data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). The proposed rule holds Year-1 depreciation rate of either 2 or 3% while data compiled by the NMMA shows 10% for Year-1 and ~5—10% for each year thereafter. Thus, boatowners in Washington state will be paying more in excise tax as the BOR is calculating the depreciation of their vessels at a lower rate than the national average.

Unlike private planes and RVs, boat owners are the only recreational user group to pay this percentage-based excise-tax in Washington state. Furthermore, Washington state boaters support and buy-in to programs like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic Invasive Species program and the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Removal Program.

“When we got wind of this recommendation, NMTA and our partners like MRAA and RBAW jumped into action and advocated for boaters and boating businesses,” said Peter Schrappen Director of Government Affairs at the Northwest Marine Trades Association. “That’s what we do, and it was gratifying to have such an august coalition in place for this important issue.”

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, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.