The RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) Government Affairs team has fulfilled some impressive goals this year.
The team represents the association’s members in the halls of government. According to an RVIA News & Insights report, the team has worked to incorporate specific priorities for the RV industry within the bipartisan infrastructure bill, talked with legislators on the 30 by 30 initiative, and has added more state Outdoor Recreation offices.
Other victories mentioned were to advocate for the RV industry at both national and state levels of government to ensure a favorable business environment, protect members from onerous regulations and legislation, as well as to make it easier for consumers to purchase or drive an RV.
These efforts, as well as other initiatives, ensure that Americans can enjoy enjoyable, safe access to the outdoors.
For federal priorities, RVIA’s Government Affairs team worked closely with Congress to ensure that the federal investment in traditional and outdoor recreation infrastructure reflected the importance of the $114 billion RV industry to the American economy. In effect, pushing for the inclusion of RV industry priorities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law on November 15, 2021.
“We are very pleased that the bipartisan infrastructure legislation will help fund the RV Industry Association’s priority transportation programs at historic levels, and at the same time, makes critical investments in rural broadband, supply chain resiliency, and electric vehicle infrastructure. The team will work closely with federal agencies to ensure this funding goes toward improving the infrastructure in national parks and public lands, which RVers rely on for safe and adequate outdoor recreation and camping experiences,” the report reads.
The group’s federal team has also been monitoring President Biden’s 30 by 30 initiative, also known as America the Beautiful, which aims to combat climate change by conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and water by 2030. They are working closely with the administration, Department of the Interior, and Congress to ensure balanced land use and increased access to outdoor recreation activities.
The work is having an impact, the association said, as the recent “America the Beautiful” report prioritizes outdoor recreation access and shows an understanding of the significant benefits that outdoor recreation provides the nation. In conjunction with the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) and other outdoor industry segments, the RV industry is committed to conservation and ensuring stewards of natural resources and biodiversity for future generations.
As the Great American Outdoors Act moves to implementation, the team has been focused on working with federal agencies to direct funds to support RV industry priorities. The U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service have committed to over 150 campground-related projects, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars, in just the first two years of the five-year program.
This bipartisan legislation, first signed into law last August, is the most significant investment in public lands in nearly a century. The funding will go a long way towards modernizing and expanding campgrounds and ensuring safe and adequate access to public lands and waters for generations of RVers to come.
The team’s state priorities relate to Louisiana Redhibition Statutes, California Air Resource Board (CARB), and adding Outdoor Recreation offices.
On the state level, the government affairs team has been working to ensure it is as easy as possible for consumers to buy, own, and drive an RV through favorable policies governing issues such as franchise, lemon law, and vehicle dimensions.
This year, the team successfully removed RVs from Louisiana’s redhibition statutes and enacted more appropriate lemon law-like provisions to resolve any issues that may arise from non-conforming RVs.
The redhibition law, a holdover from the French Napoleonic code governing Louisiana civil law, broadly allowed for the rescission of sale or reduction of the sale price in the case of a defect that renders a product useless or inconvenient. Removing RVs from this law results in a more positive experience for the RV consumer and industry.
The state team also secured a victory in California when the California Air Resource Board (CARB) attempted to limit out-of-state diesel motorhome drivers from visiting the state for more than three days without having a “smog check” inspection on their vehicle.
Following action from RVIA’s state affairs team, CARB exempted out-of-state RVs from the new requirements.
Working with the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, the state team has been instrumental in increasing the recognition and opportunity for outdoor recreation companies across the United States through the creation of offices of outdoor recreation.
RVIA, along with other members of ORR, has called for governors in all 50 states to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation. This year, Maryland and Arkansas established new offices, bringing the total number of states with an OREC office to 18.
“As we head into 2022, the RV Industry Association’s Government Affairs team will build upon the policy accomplishments this past year. As the RV industry continues to grow and more Americans express an interest in exploring the great outdoors, the team continues to work on behalf of the entire industry to make it is as easy as possible for consumers to better experience the outdoors through purchasing, owning, and driving RVs,” the report concluded.
Read more about the Association’s Advocacy efforts here.