U.S. Reps. Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Sharice Davids (D-KY-03), Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) and Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) introduced the Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act, landmark bipartisan legislation that would give small businesses the opportunity to access much needed capital to invest in disaster resilient infrastructure — a top priority […]

On Monday, May 10, 2021 The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs updated their workplace safety and reopening standards for recreational boating businesses. These updated standards as part of Phase IV, Step 1 for Massachusetts re-opening plan. The updated standards provide guidance on Social Distancing, Hygiene Protocols, Staffing and Operations, and Cleaning and […]

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that 100 percent of the MRAA Board of Directors has contributed to BoatPAC, the federal political action committee representing the recreational boating industry. The joint PAC fund of the MRAA, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the Association of Marina Industries, BoatPAC’s mission is to support […]

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced its support for the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report. The report outlines how three Federal Agencies and the Council on Environmental Quality will achieve the conservation goal of conserving 30% of America’s land and water by 2030 — also known as “30 by 30.” This […]

BacksMRAA joined other organizations in the recreational boating and fishing community to support the bipartisan Restoring Resilient Reefs Act (H.R. 160) introduced by Reps. Soto (D-FL), Case (D-HI), Radewagen (R-AS), Mast (R-FL), Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), and Plaskett (D-VI). This legislation will reauthorize and modernize the Coral Conservation Act of 2000. for five years to better support […]

To continue to expand its involvement with policy related to fishing, natural resource conservation and access, the MRAA joined the Great Lakes Conservation Coalition and the Alliance for America’s Fish and Wildlife. These partnerships align with MRAA’s 2021 policy priorities and assure that we are expanding our involvement for the benefit of our members and […]

After a year of deliberations and public input, the 21-member Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force – which includes Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas – held their final meeting on March 24, 2021, where they finalized recommendations to enhance outdoor recreation in Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner […]

MRAA Board Member and Secretary/Treasurer of the board, Joe Lewis, was honored with the BoatPAC The Champions for Growth Award during the 2021 American Boating Congress to recognize his continued involvement with the Boat PAC. Lewis, who is the owner of Mount Dora Boating Center & Marina in Mount Dora, Fla., has been a staunch […]

April 1, 2021, the United States Coast Guard implemented regulations requiring that certain boats have mandatory engine cut-off devices. This regulation requires that operators of vessels less than 26 feet in length, with open-helm stations, must wear a link that shuts off the engine in the event an operator is ejected from the vessel or […]

MRAA and our coalition partners are continuing to push back against Right to Repair legislation that surfaces throughout the country, as this presents a serious risk to boat users who may have had their engine improperly modified or repaired. MRAA is currently monitoring and pushing back against Delaware House Bill 22 which would require manufacturers […]