Sellers of Travel Services Registration – Division of Occupational and Skilled Licensing

Maryland’s House Bill 994 is ready to enter impact on October 1, 2026. The new legislation establishes up to date necessities for qualifying sellers of journey working in Maryland, together with registration {and professional} legal responsibility insurance coverage provisions designed to strengthen shopper protections and improve accountability within the travel-selling market. These measures are meant to advertise transparency and accountable enterprise practices all through the trade and improve shopper confidence.

As the legislation’s efficient date approaches, the Maryland Department of Labor is working carefully with sellers of journey, unbiased brokers, customers, advocates, and different stakeholders to make sure broad understanding of the brand new necessities.

The Maryland Department of Labor is taking the next steps to help implementation:

• Reviewing inner insurance policies and procedures to align with the brand new statutory necessities
• Providing steering and academic assets for shoppers, companions, and stakeholders
• Working collaboratively with state officers and trade representatives to facilitate compliance.
• Monitoring implementation and speaking updates as extra steering turns into accessible

We are asking members of the trade to reply the next questions to help the Department in higher understanding the day-to-day operations and traits of the journey promoting trade to be able to present steering and develop laws associated to HB 994:

• In your view, what are essentially the most crucial elements defining the operational and contractual relationships between journey sellers and unbiased brokers?
• Where do you imagine the distinct operational boundaries must be drawn between journey sellers and unbiased brokers in day by day observe?
• What is your perspective on how each skilled legal responsibility and errors & omissions insurance coverage ought to ideally be structured throughout the trade?
• In your opinion, underneath what particular circumstances is it most applicable for an unbiased agent to depend on a journey vendor’s insurance coverage protection versus sustaining their very own unbiased protection?
• Based in your expertise, what do you imagine is essentially the most sustainable or manageable scale for an unbiased agent community hooked up to a single journey vendor?
• How do you view the impression of a journey vendor’s enterprise measurement on how their unbiased agent community operates?
• What are your ideas on unbiased brokers affiliating with a number of journey sellers concurrently? Is this a typical observe within the trade?
• In your opinion, what’s the handiest technique to handle insurance coverage protection when an agent operates throughout totally different sellers?
• How do you view the pattern of brokers alternating between working underneath a journey vendor and working completely on their very own? Is this a typical observe within the trade?
• From your standpoint, what’s the greatest strategy for managing insurance coverage protection when an agent incessantly transitions between working independently exterior a vendor’s umbrella?
• Which particular areas of HB 994 do you’re feeling are in want of deeper steering from the Department earlier than the Travel Services Registration Fund is formally applied?
• What do you imagine are essentially the most vital operational realities or challenges inside the Maryland journey providers trade that the Department should consider to make sure these laws are sensible and truthful?
• Please share any insights, issues, or questions that you simply really feel are most necessary to share with the Department as laws are drafted and coverage is developed.

Please ship your feedback to [email protected] by August 31, 2026.

The Department can also be inviting stakeholders to attend a digital assembly on September 3, 2026, at 10 a.m via our Google Meet link. to be taught extra in regards to the new necessities and implementation efforts. A recording might be made accessible after the session. Stakeholders are additionally inspired to overview the legislation, consider its potential impression on their operations, and have interaction with authorized and compliance advisors as applicable.

The Maryland Department of Labor is dedicated to serving as a trusted useful resource all through the implementation course of and can proceed to offer well timed info and steering.