To: Surety Association of Ohio Members
From: Surety Federation of Ohio

RE: R.C. Section 1333.96- Travel Agency Bond

This is in regards to R.C. Section 1333.96, which was enacted in 1977. The statue requires travel agencies to register with the Director of Commerce and pay a one time registration fee of $10.00. In addition, tour promoters are required to register with the Department of Commerce, pay a registration fee of $10.00 and either file a statement from a licensed financial institution guaranteeing the performance of the tour promoter in an amount of not less than $50,000, or provide a bond in the amount of $50,000 if the tour promoter is involved in interstate of international travel activity, or a bond in the amount of $20,000 if involved only in intrastate tour activity.

The Ohio Department of Commerce advises me that they intend to seek repeal of this statute. They state that they have no enforcement mechanism, that they have no way of knowing whether the bonds are still in effect, and neither the Department of Commerce nor the Attorney General wants the responsibility of regulating travel agents and tour promoters.

Please check with other members companies and advise me whether members of the Surety Association of Ohio are in fact writing these bonds, whether they have paid any losses in recent years, and whether they want to see the statue retained. If the members of the Surety Association of Ohio want to keep this statue on the books, I need reasons as soon as possible.