Governor signs Sen. Reny bill to support Maine marinas by requiring full manufacturer reimbursement for repairs under warranty
Emergency legislation takes effect immediately to ensure boat dealers are paid in full
AUGUSTA — On June 12, Gov. Janet Mills signed into law a bill sponsored by Sen. Cameron Reny, D-Bristol, that will support Maine marinas and boat dealers. LD 1296, “An Act to Amend the Law Governing Watercraft Franchisor Warranty Reimbursements,” will require watercraft manufacturers to provide full reimbursement for parts and labor used for repairs performed under warranty.
“This new law will make sure the small businesses that keep Mainers’ boats on the water are paid in full for the work they do,” said Sen. Reny. “LD 1296 closes a loophole that big manufacturers have been using to skirt Maine’s reimbursement rules and stands up for Maine boat dealers and marinas.”
LD 1296 provides support to Maine watercraft servicers by requiring manufacturers to fully reimburse a dealer for any parts and labor provided by the dealer while fulfilling a manufacturer’s warranty commitment to its customer. This emergency legislation will ensure full payment to dealers begins immediately.
Currently, some manufacturers can take advantage of loopholes, like denying dealers markups on parts by providing them directly to dealers or by only paying a fixed price for the labor that goes into the repair, rather than reimbursing the actual time it takes a dealer to fix a part. LD 1296 closes this loophole by requiring the dealer to be reimbursed for the markup on parts, regardless of who provided it, and for the actual time it takes the dealer to complete the warranty repair.
Boat dealers strongly supported this bill throughout the process. In his testimony in support of LD 1296 at its public hearing on May 2, Jason Curtis, Vice President of Operations at Portland Yacht Services (PYS), said, “I have been in the marine service business since I was 13 years old…. This warranty re-imbursement shortfall has been a subject among dealers since I started in the business. … I believe our time on each warranty job is justified and we should be fully re-imbursed. … We are absolutely in support of LD 1296 and hope that you will support it also.”
As emergency legislation, LD 1296 took effect on June 12, 2025.
Sen. Reny represents Senate District 13, which includes most of Lincoln County and the towns of Washington and Windsor.
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