On Thursday, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Angus King (ME-I), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act. This bipartisan legislation, which matches companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, would allow the Small […]

Yesterday, the latest COVID-19 economic aid package was proposed by a 50-member bipartisan group of House legislators. The Problem Solvers Caucus announced a $1.5 trillion package dubbed their “March To Common Ground” that split the difference between the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act passed by House Democrats in May, and the $1 trillion HEALS Act proposed […]

On Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy proposed a repeal of the overwhelmingly bipartisan sales tax cap on boats as part of his revised nine-month 2021 state budget to make up for a $5.6 billion budget shortfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Governor’s $1 billion tax hike also includes a third attempt to raise […]

Hurricane Laura made landfall on Texas and Louisiana’s coasts early Thursday morning as the strongest hurricane to hit the region since 1861. The Category 4 hurricane with a life-threatening storm surge brought significant inland flooding and 150 mph winds. Fortunately search and rescue teams have found no reports of widespread fatalities. Hurricane Laura is the […]

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission votes to improve menhaden management WASHINGTON D.C. —The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted unanimously today to improve management strategies for Atlantic menhaden,
 by requiring consideration for the small baitfish’s impact on fish up the food chain. Economically important sportfish such as striped bass rely on healthy menhaden populations […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 4, 2020 – President Trump today signed the strongly biparisan Great American Outdoors Act, the most significant conservation package in a generation, into law. This comes after the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate overwhelmingly passed the package to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and address the significant […]

On July 1, 2020, The Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP), the nation’s leading advocate for saltwater recreational anglers whom the MRAA works closely with, updated its Modern Fish Act Progress Report, which grades how the federal government is implementing the law in terms of timeliness, stakeholder input and substance. On December 31, 2018, President Donald […]

On June 30, 2020 the New Hampshire Commission to Study Wake Boats, sanctioned by the New Hampshire Legislature this Fall to study the impacts of wake boats in the state, released its final report which confirmed the recreational boating industry’s positions on these vessels. Some of the recommendations outlined in the report are below: •The […]

Ahead of August recess, the U.S. Congress made significant progress on a number of the recreational boating industry’s priorities including key boating safety priorities, approving the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund out of committee, and introducing legislation that would allow small businesses to protect themselves from natural disasters. Coast Guard Authorization Act On […]

On July 22, 2020, The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Great American Outdoors Act on a bipartisan vote of 310-107. This comes just a month after the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the package to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and addressing the significant national park maintenance backlog. The most significant […]