UK: Civil Aviation. Bonding

Civil Aviation Act 2006

This empowered the Secretary of State to require the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide advice and assistance with respect to the health of people on board aircraft.

It also made alterations to the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL)system. The Secretary of State may, by regulations, require ATOL applicants and holders to make contributions to the Air Travel Trust (ATT). It also sets out the factors that the CAA is required to apply in calculating the amount that applicants must pay to the Trust. It is the CAA’s responsibility for setting the rates and dates for payment. It may require existing ATOL holders seeking a variation on their licensable business to make additional contributions. They may impose interest charges for late payments.

The CAA may suspend the requirement to make contributions to the ATT for a period for all, or for a particular category of, ATOL holders. It may also exempt a category of licence holders from the requirement to make a contribution. Non-payment entitles the CAA to refuse to issue, vary, suspend or revoke a licence.

Florida: law on Cuba travel bond blocked by federal judge

A group of travel agents in Florida sued the state over a new law requiring agents who book trips to Cuba to post a USD 250,000 bond and disclose their clients' names. Earlier this month, a federal judge lifted the measure temporarily to consider the law's legality.
Before the measure was signed into law in June all travel agencies were required to pay the state a one-time USD 25,000 bond.
Despite the recent ruling, the legal battle between the travel agents and Florida lawmakers is not over: Some legal experts say the law oversteps the bounds of state authority.

Source: New York Times; find article here>>.

Florida: agents challenge law on Cuba travel

A group of travel agents in Florida sued the state over a new law requiring agents who book trips to Cuba to post a USD 250,000 bond and disclose their clients' names. Earlier this month, a federal judge lifted the measure temporarily to consider the law's legality.

Before the measure was signed into law in June all travel agencies were required to pay the state a one-time USD 25,000 bond.

Despite the recent ruling, the legal battle between the travel agents and Florida lawmakers is not over: Some legal experts say the law oversteps the bounds of state authority.

Source: New York Times; find article here>>.

USA: Rhode Island repealed agency licensing and bonding law

Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri signed a bill on Friday repealing the state’s 32-year-old travel agency licensing and bonding law. It had been the first state law in the U.S. to require either agency licensing or bonding. The law was repealed to save money at the state level and because there are now so few agents to regulate in the smallest U.S. state.

Source: Travel Weekly; full article here>>.