Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb0994*
HOUSE BILL 994
C2 (6lr1102)
ENROLLED BILL
— Economic Matters/Finance —
Introduced by Delegates Boafo, Holmes, and Taylor
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Business Regulation – Travel Services – Special Fund, Fees, and Surety 2
Requirement 3
(Don’t You Worry (Wurie) Act) 4
FOR the purpose of establishing the Sellers of Travel Services Registration Fund as a 5
special, nonlapsing fund in the Maryland Department of Labor; requiring that 6
certain investment earnings be credited to the General Fund of the State; requiring 7
the Secre tary of Labor to annually calculate certain costs; authorizing the 8
Department to set by regulation certain fees based on certain calculations; 9
prohibiting certain fees from increasing by more than a certain amount each year; 10
requiring certain providers of travel services to file with the Department proof of 11
professional liability and errors and omissions liability in at least a certain amount; 12
and generally relating to the financial security of providers of travel services. 13
BY adding to 14
2 HOUSE BILL 994
Article – Business Regulation 1
Section 2–106.17 and 2–106.18; and 17–2201 through 17–2203 to be under the new 2
subtitle “Subtitle 22. Travel Services” 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Business Regulation 8
2–106.17. 9
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “FUND” MEANS THE SELLERS OF TRAVEL SERVICES 10
REGISTRATION FUND. 11
(B) (1) THERE IS A SELLERS OF TRAVEL SERVICES REGISTRATION 12
FUND. 13
(2) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 14
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 15
(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PAY ALL FEES COLLECTED U NDER 16
TITLE 17, SUBTITLE 22 OF THIS ARTICLE TO THE COMPTROLLER. 17
(2) THE COMPTROLLER SHALL DISTRIBUTE THE FEES TO THE FUND. 18
(D) THE FUND SHALL BE USED TO COVER THE ACTUAL DOC UMENTED 19
DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS OF FULFILLING THE STATUTORY AND RE GULATORY 20
DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT UNDER TITLE 17, SUBTITLE 22 OF THIS ARTICLE. 21
(E) THE SECRETARY OR A DESIGN EE OF THE SECRETARY SHALL 22
ADMINISTER THE FUND. 23
(F) THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR SHALL AUDIT T HE ACCOUNTS AND 24
TRANSACTIONS OF THE FUND MAY BE SUBJECT TO AUDIT AS PROVIDED IN § 2–1220 25
OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 26
(G) ANY INVESTMENT EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITED TO THE 27
GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE. 28
2–106.18. 29
HOUSE BILL 994 3
(A) THE SECRETARY SHALL ANNUA LLY CALCULATE THE DI RECT AND 1
INDIRECT COSTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT UNDER TITLE 17, SUBTITLE 2
22 OF THIS ARTICLE. 3
(B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH FEES BASED ON THE 4
CALCULATIONS PROVIDED BY THE SECRETARY UNDER THIS SECTION. 5
(C) EACH FEE ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER TITLE 17, 6
SUBTITLE 22 OF THIS ARTICLE MAY NOT BE INCREASED ANNUALLY BY MORE THAN 7
12.5% OF THE EXISTING AND CORRESPONDING FEES OF THE DEPARTMENT UNDER 8
TITLE 17, SUBTITLE 22 OF THIS ARTICLE. 9
SUBTITLE 22. TRAVEL SERVICES. 10
17–2201. 11
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 12
INDICATED. 13
(B) “INDEPENDENT AGENT ” MEANS A PERSON THAT OFFERS OR 14
UNDERTAKES TO ARRANGE FOR OR PROVIDE THE TRAVEL SERVICES SPECIFIED IN 15
SUBSECTION (C)(1)(II) OF THIS SECTION BUT DOES NOT: 16
(1) RECEIVE MONEY OR OTH ER VALUABLE CONSIDER ATION 17
DIRECTLY FROM THE PU RCHASER FOR THE SALE OF TRAVEL SERVICES O R FROM 18
THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL SUPPLIER; 19
(2) POSSESS AT ANY TIME ANY UNISSUED TICKET STOCK OR TRAVEL 20
DOCUMENT; OR 21
(3) HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISSUE TICKETS, VACATION CERTIFICATES, 22
OR ANY OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. 23
(C) (1) “SELLER OF TRAVEL” MEANS A PERSON THAT: 24
(I) IS LOCAT ED IN THE STATE OR OFFERS TO SE LL TRAVEL 25
SERVICES TO A PERSON LOCATED IN THE STATE; 26
(II) OFFERS OR UNDERTAKES TO ARRANGE OR PROVIDE FOR: 27
1. TRAVEL RESERVATIONS OR ACCOMMODATIONS; 28
2. TICKETS FOR TRAVEL B Y ANY MODE OF 29
TRANSPORTATION; 30
4 HOUSE BILL 994
3. HOTEL OR MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS; 1
4. CAR RENTALS; OR 2
5. SIGHTSEEING TOURS; AND 3
(III) RECEIVES VALUABLE CO NSIDERATION DIRECTLY FROM 4
THE PURCHASER FOR TH E SALE OF TRAVEL SER VICES OR FROM THE UL TIMATE 5
TRAVEL SUPPLIER. 6
(2) “SELLER OF TRAVEL” DOES NOT INCLUDE: 7
(I) AN AIR CARRIER; 8
(II) AN OCEAN CARRIER; OR OR 9
(III) A HOTEL , MOTEL, PERSON THAT RENTS OR OPERATES A 10
SHORT–TERM RENTAL UNIT AS DEFINED IN § 11–101 OF THE TAX – GENERAL 11
ARTICLE FOR A PERIOD OF LESS THAN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, SHORT–TERM RENTAL 12
PLATFORM AS DEFINED IN § 11–101 OF THE TAX – GENERAL ARTICLE, OR SIMILAR 13
LODGING ESTABLISHMEN T THAT , IN THE COURSE OF SEL LING, PROVIDING, OR 14
ARRANGING TRANSIENT LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS AND RELATED SERVICES FOR 15
ITS REGISTERED GUESTS: 16
1. ARRANGES OR PROVIDES FOR TRANSPORTATION; AND 17
2. DOES NOT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RECEIVE MONEY 18
OR OTHER VALUABLE CO NSIDERATION FOR ARRA NGING OR PROVIDING 19
TRANSPORTATION; 20
(IV) A PERSON THAT RENTS OR OPERATES A SHORT –TERM 21
RENTAL UNIT, AS DEFINED IN § 11–101 OF THE TAX – GENERAL ARTICLE, FOR A 22
PERIOD OF LESS THAN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS; OR 23
(V) A SHORT –TERM RENTAL PLATFORM , AS DEFINED IN § 24
11–101 OF THE TAX – GENERAL ARTICLE. 25
17–2202. 26
(A) (1) EACH SELLER OF TRAVEL OR INDEPENDENT AGENT SHALL FILE 27
ANNUALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT PROOF OF P ROFESSIONAL LIABILIT Y AND 28
ERRORS AND OMISSIONS INSURANCE IN THE AMO UNT OF AT LEAST $1,000,000 AS 29
REQUIRED BY THIS SUBTITLE. 30
HOUSE BILL 994 5
(2) EACH SELLER OF TRAVEL SHALL FILE ANNUALLY WITH THE 1
DEPARTMENT A LIST OF INDEPENDENT AGENTS AFFILIATED WITH THE SELLER OF 2
TRAVEL. 3
(3) THE ANNUAL FILING FEE IS $300. 4
(B) A PERSON MAY NOT RECEIVE VALUABLE CONSIDERATION IN PAYMENT 5
FOR SERVICES OFFERED FOR SALE BY A SELLER OF TRAVEL OR AN INDE PENDENT 6
AGENT UNLESS, AT THE TIME OF RECEIVING THE PAYMENT, THE SELLER OF TRAVEL 7
OR INDEPENDENT AGENT HAS MET THE ANNUAL F ILING REQUIREMENTS U NDER 8
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 9
(C) (1) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE P ROVIDED BY LAW , THE DEPARTMENT 10
SHALL PAY ALL FEES COLLECTED UNDER THIS TITLE TO THE COMPTROLLER. 11
(2) THE COMPTROLLER SHALL DIS TRIBUTE THE FEES TO THE 12
SELLERS OF TRAVEL SERVICES REGISTRATION FUND ESTABLISHED IN § 2–106.17 13
OF THIS ARTICLE. 14
17–2203. 15
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 16
(1) PROVIDE REASONABLE NOTICE OF THE REQUIRE MENTS OF THIS 17
SUBTITLE TO CONSUMERS AND SELLERS OF TRAVEL; 18
(2) ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 19
(3) ADOPT REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS SUBTITLE, INCLUDING 20
REGULATIONS ESTABLIS HING REQUIREMENTS AN D PROCEDURES FOR THE 21
REGISTRATION OF SELL ERS OF TRAVEL AND P ROVIDING FOR THE ENF ORCEMENT 22
OF THIS SUBTITLE. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25