Tag: Legislative Updates

NOAA Signals Potential Shift on Right Whale Speed Rules — What It Means for Marine Retailers

By Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has taken an important first step toward reexamining federal vessel regulations intended to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, and this development has meaningful implications for the recreational boating industry and marine […]

What the No Tax on Boat Loan Interest Act of 2026 Means for Marine Dealers

• MRAA Advocacy update: New bill addressing boat loan interest deduction will make boat ownership more affordable for everyday Americans WASHINGTON (Jan. 28, 2026) — The No Tax on Boat Loan Interest Act of 2026, recently introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, proposes extending the above‑the‑line loan interest deduction available for American‑made motor vehicles to include […]

MRAA Submits Comments on Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Wake Boat and Wakesurf Study

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), joined by several Connecticut-based marine retailers, has submitted formal comments to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) regarding its proposed Wake Boat and Wakesurf Study. The wakesurfing study is intended to evaluate the operation and impacts of wake boats on Connecticut’s inland lakes and […]

MAPOceans Act Passes Senate

• New legislation would modernize accessibility to saltwater recreational fishing regulations and marine waters navigation information WASHINGTON, September 12, 2025 – Saltwater anglers, hunters and marine recreationists joined the, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Marine Manufacturers Association, American Sportfishing Association and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in cheering Senate passage […]

Navigating Change: MRAA, State Marine Trades Associations Voice Concerns Over Removal of Aids to Navigation in the Northeast

By Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager In May the United States Coast Guard announced plans to remove a number of Aids to Navigation (ATONs) across the Northeast. These ATONs — buoys, markers and beacons — are essential tools that guide boaters safely through our nation’s waterways. The Coast Guard cites modernization and shifting resources […]

Automaker Trade Group Pushes Department of Justice to Target State Auto-dealer Franchise Laws

• Implications for marine retailers — how the MRAA is fighting for you By Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager In late May, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a powerful trade group representing automakers and suppliers, responded to a public comment request from the Department of Justice’s newly created Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force . This […]

Recreational Boating Industry Supports Introduction of Boating Trust Fund Reauthorization

MINNEAPOLIS, June 12, 2025 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) backs a bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (SFRBTF). It was released on Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives. The reauthorization of the SFRBTF is a top priority of the recreational marine industry. 75 Years […]

MRAA Helps Unlock Relief for Marine Businesses in Minnesota Lead Key Ban Reversal

MINNEAPOLIS, June 12, 2025 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) applauds the Minnesota legislature’s passage of H.F. 4, which included a provision that has relaxed the state’s previously enacted lead key ban. Unlock Minnesota Coalition The MRAA, as part of the Unlock Minnesota Coalition, comprised of Minnesota-based businesses, worked together to shepherd […]