2017 Legislative Outlook
From the inauguration of our
new president to welcoming a Republication majority
in the U.S. House and Senate, 2017 is set to be an
extraordinary year—filled with potential of tremendous impact on not only our
nation but also our industry.
We spoke with our federal and state government affairs teams to get
their take on how the recent historical elections may impact the timeshare
industry, as well as any key advocacy efforts they plan to focus on in this new
year.
Let’s take a look at some
snippets from what our legislative team had to say about how the timeshare
industry as a whole and some of their new advocacy efforts.
Robert Clements
Last year I set out to build
strong relationships with attorneys general, as well as other regulatory and
enforcement agencies in our key states. This year, I intend to continue those
outreach and relationship building efforts throughout the country. Through
these relationships, I plan to provide these groups with a greater
understanding of the current state of timeshare and the positive and negative
issues that may affect the industry.
With the 2017 legislative
sessions about to start around the country, we’ll continue to monitor
legislation and work with our members to advocate for their legislative needs.
Chris Stewart
The 2016 election results
were surprising across the country, when compared to expectations set by the
polls. Beyond the presidential level, many economists and politically-seasoned
forecasters predicted gains by Democrats in several down-ticket races. Clearly,
that didn’t happen. However, after the election, the new members of Congress
will help to reduce the concerns regarding new taxes.
Justin Vermuth
While our 2017 goals are
still being finalized, they can fit in two general buckets. The
first bucket looks at breaking down the impediments
that members have while attempting to do business in a timely and efficient
manner. For example, if registration approvals are taking too long in a state,
then we brainstorm on what can be done to get the agency the right tools or
resources to help expedite the process.
The second bucket
concentrates on timeshare owner protection. This includes utilizing our new
staff resources to consult with enforcement officials on implementing some of
the great consumer protection tools we have already passed in Massachusetts,
Florida, Colorado, to name a few. Also, dealing with the termination dates that
are approaching for legacy resorts. And of course, there
are always tax issues to contend with.
Kevin Riley
With regard to ARDA’s key
legislative priorities in 2017, there is reason to be fairly optimistic that
the composition of the incoming administration—as well
as Congress—will be more receptive to the issues
plaguing businesses across our nation, including those that affect our industry
and its members.
The ARDA Federal Affairs team
will continue its efforts with the new Congress to support legislation that
will better align this agency with its governmental counterparts and install
much-needed oversight and transparency.
ARDA’s outreach to
legislators will continue in 2017, and we are hopeful that this administration
will not hinder our efforts, as we are joined by a broad coalition of
businesses from across the nation
Find out what else our
legislative team had to say about how the recent election will impact our
industry in this month’s Developments Magazine.