President Barack Obama recently signed the Coast Guard Authorization Act into law, the National Marine Manufacturers Association reports.

The legislation strengthens the Coast Guard as a military service and branch of the armed forces in the Department of Homeland Security by providing organizational flexibility for the Coast Guard.

The law also includes several provisions important to the recreational marine industry, including a study on the impact of mid-level ethanol blends, such as E15, on the performance and safety of boats and marine engines, the association said.

Click here to read President Obama's statement.