California § 17554 - An educational travel organization may not arrange an educational travel program

§ 17554. An educational travel organization may not arrange an educational travel program

An educational travel organization may not arrange an educational travel program before the organization involved has first entered into a written contract with the educational institution. The written contract shall include all of the following: (a) The educational travel organization’s name, trade or business name, business address, and business telephone number, including a 24-hour emergency telephone number or 24-hour emergency contact by pager, voice mail, or other method of 24-hour telecommunications. (b) An itemized statement of the services to be provided as a part of the program and the agreed cost for the services. The statement shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) A statement as to whether or not the educational travel organization maintains insurance that supplies coverage in the event of injury to any student traveler. The statement shall include the type and amount of coverage, the policy number and issuer, and the name, address, and telephone number of the person or organization who is able to verify the coverage. (2) Any additional costs to students. (3) The qualifications, if any, for experience and training that are required to be met by the educational travel organization’s staff who shall accompany students on the educational travel program. (c) A written description of the educational program being contracted for, including a copy of all materials to be provided to students. (d) The number of times the educational travel program or a substantially similar educational travel program that is the subject of the contract has been conducted by the educational travel organization and the number of students who completed that program. (e) The length of time the educational travel organization has either been arranging or conducting educational travel programs, and, at the option of the educational travel organization, other travel services with substantially similar components. (f) The name of each owner and principal of the educational travel organization. (g) A statement as to whether any owner or principal of the educational travel organization has had entered against him or her any judgment, including a stipulated judgment, order, made a plea of nolo contendere, or been convicted of any criminal violation, in connection with the sale of any travel services for a period of 10 years predating the contract. For purposes of this section, “owner” means a person or organization who owns or controls 10 percent or more of the equity of, or otherwise has claim to 10 percent or more of the net income of, the educational travel organization; and “principal” means an owner, an officer of a corporation, a general partner of a partnership, or a sole proprietor of a sole proprietorship.