CMTA, a member of the Recreational Boating Leadership Council has been attending what once was a monthly call addressing advocacy issues.  Today the efforts of this group ramped up with a very important update on COVID-19 and its impact on the Boating Industry.  The group will now meet weekly.

Today's Recap: 

• Focus of NMMA and MRAA Government Relations Teams- for the foreseeable future will be on business protections/assistance related to current crisis. 
• Nicole Vasilaros and Dave Dickerson (NMMA) and Matt Gruhn and Adam Fortier-Brown (MRAA) were all on the call. MTA’s from all over the country and Canada were on the call.

• • Corona 1 – 8 Billion for supplemental to prop up the response (passed on March 6)
  • Stimulus 2 – Family’s First Plan from House.  Passed Last week but Senate took up today and hopefully will be passed today/tonight measures to include:
  • • Food Assistance
    • Enhance unemployment aid
    • Paid Sick leave provisions
    • Mostly addressing companies less than 500 employees
    • These will be accessed through the Depart of Labor and SBA
  • Stimulus 3 – The Business Package – currently being crafted.  NMMA and MRAA have been weighing in with some of the following provision proposals:
  • • Small Business Issues to address
    • Business Interruption Insurance Protection
    • Tariff Relief
    • Interest payment support
  • Stimulus 4 – From the Administration - Which will follow and could total 50 Billion to a Trillion dollars for Business support
• The group stressed that these are very fluid and NOW is the time to get language, resources, needs included in the Stimulus 3 and 4.  So if you have specific questions and needs – please let me know.  We’ll get into the right hands.
• MRAA reported:
• • While some of this mirrors the 2008/2009 era – it is not likely to result in the same level of floor plan collapses from the loss of financial institutions.  Not a seismic financial issue – created by the financial markets – rather a reaction to the health crisis. However working on interest support, curtailment issues with all parties, lenders, manufacturers, dealers, suppliers.
  • MRAA Has set up an strong resource site.  We have linked ours to that site
  • All MRAA training is now free to anyone.  ($1,000 typical charge).  If Dealers would like to have staff training at this time, there is a 140 courses available to anyone.
    
  • Of course all events have been interrupted and resources were shared to help event planners figure out what’s next
• Overall, most states shared ALL the same issues, concerns, lack of answers as was discussed with the CMTA BOD yesterday.  So we’re all working together to keep communication and guidance open.
• At the end of the call there were was a new development (yes, within that 45 minute period) that the RV industry reported that shipments of RVs were being stopped at state borders in Nevada, California and Pennsylvania.  We were asked to ask all of you have heard anything like this impact any of your deliveries.  Please advise if so.