PRINTER'S NO. 1169
No. 1047 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY SCRIMENTI, MANDERINO, BROWNE, WOJNAROSKI,
FAIRCHILD, HENNESSEY, BELARDI, THOMAS, ROONEY, READSHAW,
YOUNGBLOOD, ITKIN, CURRY, BEBKO-JONES, CARN, LEDERER, SHANER,
OLASZ, MICHLOVIC, ROEBUCK, JOSEPHS, MIHALICH, COLAFELLA AND
RAMOS, MARCH 25, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, MARCH 25, 1997
AN ACT
1 Prohibiting certain credit card transactions relating to travel
2 services.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Credit card transactions involving travel services.
6 (a) General rule.--It shall be unlawful for a provider of
7 travel services to communicate with a credit card issuer for the
8 purpose of reserving or setting aside an amount of credit in a
9 consumer's credit card account in excess of the actual agreed-
10 upon cost of the services contracted for by the consumer and
11 provider of travel services unless prior to such communication
12 the provider of travel services informs the consumer in writing
13 of the amount of credit which will be requested to be reserved
14 or set aside and obtains the consumer's written consent to the
15 reservation or set-aside of such amount.
16 (b) Release.--It shall be unlawful for any provider of
1 travel services, after it has determined the final charges for
2 the travel services furnished to a consumer, to fail to promptly
3 communicate with a credit card issuer to request the release of
4 any amount of credit previously reserved or set aside by it in
5 the consumer's credit card account which is in excess by more
6 than $25 of the charges actually billed.
7 (c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
8 words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
9 subsection:
10 "Provider" or "provider of travel services." A person, firm
11 or corporation engaged in the business of furnishing travel
12 services.
13 "Travel services." Public transportation, public
14 accommodations in hotels, motels or motor courts, rental of
15 motor vehicles or any other service related to travel or
16 vacations.
17 Section 2. Effective date.
18 This act shall take effect immediately.
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