Source: David Maiolo   WASHINGTON DC – December 21, 2020 – Today, Congress unveiled text for its long-awaited $2.5 trillion COVID-19 stimulus and year-end spending package, the second largest bill in U.S. history, and clearing a path for passage sometime late Monday evening after midnight.   The 5,593-page package includes a $1.4 […]

After weeks of negotiations, the top four congressional leaders are looking like they could unveil a COVID-19 relief package later today, the most significant breakthrough in nearly eight months since the CARES Act was passed. This package would include several items important to the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas membership and the marine industry […]

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, including a number of priorities for the recreational boating industry. The package is expected to pass the U.S. Senate in before the end of the month. “Boating and fishing was the most popular outdoor recreation activity in the nation […]

When fueling up your boat at the gas station, can you tell the difference between a low-ethanol fuel that is fine for your engine and a higher blend ethanol fuel that can cause some serious damage? A new national poll conducted by a group of organizations, including MRAA, found that the current labeling is unsurprisingly […]

WASHINGTON DC — In response to a surge in COVID-19 cases, now reaching 13.3 million and over 266,000 deaths, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers revived negotiations on Tuesday for a COVID-19 stimulus package that appeared dead in the water before Thanksgiving. The bipartisan proposal was introduced on Tuesday morning by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), […]

On November 10, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released updated economic data, including national and state level data for both 2018 and 2019, on outdoor recreation’s significant economic impact on the U.S. economy including national and state level data for both 2018 and 2019, showing $788 billion in economic output, […]

The MRAA and other outdoor recreation organizations are building a comprehensive list of Land and Water Conservation Fund-eligible recreation projects for funding through the Great American Outdoors Act. With the passage of GAOA this summer, we have an unprecedented opportunity to have our voice and priorities carried out through LWCF and the maintenance backlog. Now it’s on […]

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board voted yesterday to reduce the Atlantic menhaden quota by 10 percent, establishing a quota of 194,400 metric tons for the 2021 and 2022 fishing years. Atlantic menhaden are a primary food source for numerous sportfish populations, especially striped bass. The harvest reduction comes in […]

On October 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Save our Seas 2.0. Led by House Ocean Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Don Young (R-AK-At Large) in the House, and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), this bipartisan legislation which is supported by the recreational boating industry will […]

On October 1, President Trump signed into law a short-term funding bill to fund the federal government at current spending levels until December 11. The measure includes a provision that extends the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund until October 1, 2021– a significant priority for the recreational boating industry Funded through excise taxes […]