The RV Industry Association (RVIA)’s State Government Affairs team spent this past week at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ 2025 Legislative Summit in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the preeminent state legislative event in the United States, hosting over 6000 attendees — including legislators, legislative staff, lobbyists, exhibitors and government affairs professionals from across the country.
During the event, the association’s team members, who staffed a booth alongside the National Marine Manufacturers Association, networked with legislators and legislative staff from over 25 states. Along with learning about the RV industry’s priorities, policymakers had an opportunity to tour a 2026 Forest River r-pod travel trailer.
“The Summit gives us the opportunity to talk about pressing issues that legislators and legislatures more broadly need to be aware of, such as state franchise laws, right-to-repair laws, and the growing issue of PFAS bans or reporting requirements on manufacturers,” said Michael Ochs, RVIA’s director of state affairs.
RVIA’s State Government Affairs team also uses the Summit as an opportunity to begin planning for 2026 legislative sessions. “Preparing for legislative sessions really starts when we attend this meeting. We’re deciding which states to focus on throughout 2026, and then we make the effort to meet with legislators from those states while we’re here,” said Ochs.
