MRAA’s State Priorities
STATE POLICY PRIORITIES
Each state represents unique opportunities and challenges for the recreational boating industry and MRAA Members. Whether contesting harmful right to repair legislation, advocating for favorable tax and insurance policies or supporting efforts to create mandatory boater education, the MRAA Government Relations Team is dedicated to supporting you in state legislatures across the country.
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Right to Repair
Service is an integral part of your business. Your certified technicians bring expertise and value to your dealership. They are crucial for keeping your customers on the water, while also generating revenue when sales slow. To protect this important revenue stream and the investments made in your certified techs, the MRAA is dedicated to seeking exemptions from harmful right to repair (R2R) legislation.
R2R, often referred to as the Digital Fair Repair Act, is legislation that seeks to give consumers access to diagnostic tools and software to allow them to make changes to the security and emissions control features of marine electronics. Furthermore, some R2R legislation would require manufacturers to provide OEM parts and tools to consumers at cost, severely threatening to undercut the profit margins of dealers and parts suppliers.
MRAA Top Policy Priorities
- Seek marine industry exemption from state R2R policies.
Additional Resources
Boating Access
As recreational boating evolves with new and emerging technologies and recreational activities, the rules that govern it are also changing. It is imperative to assure recreational boating does not interfere with other user groups or aquatic ecosystems and essential that boating access to our favorite places and pastimes is not infringed upon. For the sake of your business and the boating public, the MRAA will engage states and municipalities to minimize impediments to access while recreational boating regulations are being crafted.
MRAA Top Policy Priorities
- Based upon peer-reviewed science, the MRAA works with our partners and state legislators to enact policies that balance recreational boating access with natural resource conservation.
Additional Resources
Boater Education
Keeping your customers safe on the water is integral to the MRAA. Safe boaters project a positive image of the sport and are often repeat customers at your business. To protect the boating public and retain recreational boaters, the MRAA is supportive of efforts to install mandatory boater education programs to help inform recreational boaters about safe boating practices.
MRAA Top Policy Priorities
- Coordinate with and support Boating Law Administrators, state-based agencies and partners to establish boater safety and education guidelines.
- Support funding for state-agencies’ safety and recreational boating initiatives and outreach campaigns.
Additional Resources
Recreational Boat Sales & Use Tax
High sales and use tax on recreational vessels can be a major impediment to your dealerships sales and service contracts. For that reason, the MRAA is dedicated to maintaining a favorable tax environment in each state, while advocating for vessel sales tax caps and other common sense boating tax policy at a state level.
MRAA Top Policy Priorities
- Maintain status-quo in states with a favorable sales and use tax on recreational boats.
- Advocate for vessels sales tax-caps in states where consumers are burdened by significant vessels sales tax rates.
- Support for use tax-caps in states where consumers are burdened by significant vessels use tax rates.
Additional Resources
Get Involved Today!
Connect with MRAA’s Advocacy Team:
Chad Tokowicz
Government Relations Manager
chad@mraa.com
202-737-9779
Matt Gruhn
President
matt@mraa.com
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