Section 3905.066 | Travel retailers.
(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a travel retailer may offer and sell travel insurance under a limited lines travel insurance agent that is a business entity if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The limited lines travel insurance agent or travel retailer provides all of the following information to purchasers of travel insurance at the time of sale or in the fulfillment materials provided to purchasers:
(a) A description of the material terms or the actual terms of the insurance coverage;
(b) A description of the process for filing a claim;
(c) A description of the review or cancellation process for the travel insurance policy;
(d) The identity and contact information of the insurer and limited lines travel insurance agent.
(2)(a) The limited lines travel insurance agent designates one of the agent's employees, who is a licensed individual agent, as the responsible insurance agent who is responsible for the limited lines travel insurance agent's compliance with the travel insurance laws and rules of this state applicable to the limited lines travel insurance agent and its registrants. The designated responsible insurance agent must be a licensed insurance agent qualified in any of the following lines of authority in accordance with section 3905.06 of the Revised Code:
(i) Travel;
(ii) Property;
(iii) Personal.
(b) The responsible insurance agent, president, secretary, treasurer, and any other officer or person who directs or controls the limited lines travel insurance agent's insurance operations shall comply with the fingerprinting requirements of section 3905.051 of the Revised Code or the applicable fingerprinting requirements of the home state of the limited lines travel insurance agent.
(3) The limited lines travel insurance agent business entity and the responsible insurance agent are responsible for the acts of the travel retailer and use reasonable means to ensure compliance with sections 3905.064 to 3905.0611 of the Revised Code by the travel retailer.
(4)(a) The limited lines travel insurance agent requires each employee and authorized representative of the travel retailer, whose duties include offering or selling travel insurance, to receive a program of instruction or training that is subject, at the discretion of the superintendent, to review and approval.
(b) The training material shall, at minimum, contain instructions on the types of insurance offered, ethical sales practices, and required disclosures to prospective customers.
(B)(1) Any travel retailer offering or selling travel insurance shall make available to prospective purchasers brochures or other written materials that have been approved by the travel insurer. Such materials shall contain all of the following:
(a) The identity and contact information of the insurer and the limited lines travel insurance agent;
(b) An explanation that the purchase of travel insurance is not required in order to purchase any other product or service from the travel retailer;
(c) An explanation that an unlicensed travel retailer is permitted to provide general information about the insurance offered by the travel retailer, including a description of the coverage and price, but is not qualified or authorized to answer technical questions about the terms and conditions of the insurance offered by the travel retailer or to evaluate the adequacy of the customer's existing insurance coverage.
(2) A travel retailer's employee or authorized representative who is not licensed as an insurance agent shall not do any of the following:
(a) Evaluate or interpret the technical terms, benefits, and conditions of the offered travel insurance coverage;
(b) Evaluate or provide advice concerning a prospective purchaser's existing insurance coverage;
(c) Hold itself out as a licensed insurer, licensed agent, or insurance expert.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a travel retailer whose insurance-related activities, and those of its employees and authorized representatives, are limited to offering and selling travel insurance on behalf of and under the direction of a limited lines travel insurance agent that meets the requirements of section 3905.065 of the Revised Code, is authorized to offer and sell insurance and receive related compensation for these services, if the travel retailer is registered by the limited lines travel insurance agent as described in section 3905.065 of the Revised Code. Any compensation paid to a travel retailer's employee or authorized representative for the services described in this section shall be incidental to the employee's or authorized representative's overall compensation and not based primarily on the number of customers who purchase travel insurance coverage.
(C) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit payment of compensation to a travel retailer or its employees or authorized representatives for activities under the limited lines travel insurance agent's license that are incidental to the overall compensation of the travel retailer or the employees or authorized representatives of the facility.
Last updated June 8, 2022 at 1:11 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- October 19, 2022 – Enacted by Senate Bill 256 - 134th General Assembly [ View October 19, 2022 Version ]