The following is a letter that the MRAA signed on to and was recently delivered to every member of Congress. The letter urges extension of the tax provisions that expired at the end of 2011. The letter is signed by more than 1,500 businesses, associations, community development organizations, and non-profit organizations. This letter was nearly […]

Membership Advisory MRAA Board Approves ACMA Resolutions Setting 2012 Legislative Agenda The Board of Directors for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas recently approved three resolutions written by its Advisory Council of Marine Associations. ACMA met in Orlando, Fla., prior to the official opening of the Marine Dealer Conference and Expo on Nov. 7. […]

DEALER ALERT The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has been charged with the task of $1.5 trillion in federal government budget cuts. The committee must provide Congress with its recommendations by Thanksgiving. With six of the twelve Members of the committee publicly advocating for increased tax revenues, MRAA has been very concerned that it […]

Membership Advisory MRAA JOINS BUSINESS COALITION TO KEEP POLITICS OUT OF FEDERAL CONTRACT AND GRANT PROCESS MRAA is an active member of a coalition of 156 organizations spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that is urging Congress to pass the “Keep Politics Out of the Federal Contracting Act of 2011.” Several letters have already […]

MEMBERSHIP ADVISORY NBSAC Approves Mandatory Life Jacket Resolution for Boaters Meeting in Arlington, Virginia on April 1 and April 2, the Congressionally mandated advisory group to the Coast Guard on recreational boating safety called the National Boating Safety Advisory Council and approved a hard debated resolution for life jacket wear. NBSAC voted 15 in favor […]

Membership Advisory Senate Passes Wallop-Breaux Extension March 7, 2011 ~ On Thursday evening, March 3, the U.S. Senate approved legislation to extend the vital Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Safety Trust Fund for seven months or until the end of the federal fiscal year of September 30, 2011. The measure now heads to the President […]

Membership Advisory MRAA Issues Position Paper Opposing Mandatory Adult Wear of Life Jackets In the past few months, the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers have been ratcheting up discussions, studies, and strategies to implement a mandatory adult wear requirement of recreational boats on federal waters. The Corps of Engineers has taken the lead […]

Membership Advisory House of Representatives Passes Repeal of 1099 Requirement for Small Business On March 3, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4 to repeal the onerous IRS requirement that small businesses must file Form 1099s to all vendors where the small business made annual purchases over $600.00. This requirement was included in the […]

Membership Advisory Boaters Beware E15 Can Damage Your Boat Boca Grande—On January 21, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would grant a waiver to allow the ethanol blend in certain automobile, SUV, and pick up engines to increase from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. This jump from E10 to E15 is […]

MEMBER ADVISORY MRAA Announces New Certified Pre-Owned Program Boca Grande, Florida ~ The Marine Retailers Association of America, in conjunction with Titan Certified, has developed a Certified Pre-Owned Program (CPO) that Guarantees the condition of the engine, transmission, outdrive and generator to all buyer’s and seller’s of used boats. The auto industry has known for […]