(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Limited lines travel insurance agent" means an individual or business entity licensed to sell, solicit, or negotiate travel insurance under this section.

(2) "Travel insurance" means insurance coverage for personal risks incident to planned travel, including all of the following:

(a) Interruption or cancellation of a trip or event;

(b) Loss of baggage or personal effects;

(c) Damages to accommodations or rental vehicles;

(d) Sickness, accident, disability, or death occurring during travel.

"Travel insurance" does not include major medical plans that provide comprehensive medical protection for a traveler with a trip lasting six months or longer, including a plan covering a person working overseas as an expatriate or in a deployed military unit.

(3) "Travel retailer" means a business entity that makes, arranges, or offers travel services, and that may offer or sell travel insurance as a service to its customers on behalf of, and under the direction of, a limited lines travel insurance agent in conjunction with the making, arranging, or offering of travel services.

(B) No person shall offer or sell travel insurance except as provided in this section.

(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the superintendent of insurance may issue to an individual or business entity a limited lines travel insurance agent license that authorizes the holder of the license to sell, solicit, or negotiate travel insurance through a licensed insurer if both of the following requirements are met:

(1) The individual or business entity has submitted an application to the superintendent for the license on a form and in a manner prescribed by the superintendent.

(2) The individual or business entity has paid all fees applicable under this chapter.

(D)

(1) At the time the superintendent of insurance issues a license under this section, the limited lines travel insurance agent shall establish and maintain on a form prescribed by the superintendent a register of each travel retailer that offers or sells travel insurance on the agent's behalf.

(2) The limited lines travel insurance agent shall submit the register to the department of insurance upon reasonable request, and shall certify that the registered travel retailer complies with 18 U.S.C. 1033.

(E) 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 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. 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 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 this section by the travel retailer.

(4)

(a)

(i) 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.

(ii) The training material shall, at minimum, contain instructions on the types of insurance offered, ethical sales practices, and required disclosures to prospective customers.

(b) The superintendent may review all training programs or materials at the superintendent's discretion.

(5) The travel retailer offers or sells the travel insurance only in conjunction with the making, arranging, or offering of travel services.

(F) A limited lines travel insurance agent, as well as any travel retailer and the retailer's employees that are registered under division (D) of this section, are exempt from any examination and education requirements as set forth in section 3905.04 of the Revised Code for purposes of this section only.

(G)

(1) Any travel retailer offering or selling travel insurance shall make available to prospective purchasers brochures or other written materials that 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;

(d) Offer or sell travel insurance, unless the travel insurance is offered or sold in conjunction with and incidental to the sale of travel services.

(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 or selling travel insurance on behalf of and under the direction of a limited lines travel insurance agent that meets the requirements of this section, 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 division (D) of this section. 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.

(a) 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.

(b) All costs paid or charged to a consumer for the purchase of travel insurance or related services shall be separately itemized on the customer's bill.

(H) Travel insurance may be provided under individual or group insurance.

(I) Any limited lines travel insurance agent, or any travel retailer offering or selling travel insurance under a limited lines travel insurance agent, that fails to comply with the provisions of this section is deemed to have engaged in an unfair and deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance as defined in section 3901.21 of the Revised Code and is subject to section 3905.14 of the Revised Code.

(J) A license issued under this section shall be renewed on a biennial basis as set forth in sections 3905.06 and 3905.07 of the Revised Code.

Added by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 169, §1, eff. 12/22/2017.