How will Maryland’s new law named for Wurie family impact travel?

If you are planning to book a major vacation, cruise or international trip through a Maryland-based travel service, a new law will change how those businesses operate.

Signed Tuesday, May 26, by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the “Don’t You Worry (Wurie) Act” — named after a Maryland couple who died in 2024 during a pilgrimage nightmare to Mecca — establishes strict insurance mandates aimed at cracking down at rogue travel companies.

The new law has left residents with two major questions: What exactly does this law change for consumers, and who was the Maryland couple behind its creation?

What is the Don’t You Worry (Wurie) Act?

The act, sponsored by Maryland State Delegate Adrian Boafo, is officially known as House Bill 1106 and it establishes new framework for businesses selling travel packages to Marylanders.

The law requires all “sellers of travel” — defined as anyone arranging lodging, tour packages or transportation — to register with the state and pay a $300 fee each year. The money will fund a new enforcement office within Maryland’s Department of Labor.

They are also required to provide proof of at least $1 million in liability insurance to protect consumers against misconduct or negligence.

“It also makes sure that it establishes the sellers of travel services registry fund, because what that will do is that will help empower the state to aggressively enforce safety standards and ensure that every Marylander can know that the agency that they’re booking with is in good standing,” Moore told WTOP.

The law goes into effect Oct. 1.

To check the status of a business license in Maryland, visit the state’s Business Entity Search.

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Who was the Don’t You Worry (Wurie) Act named for?

Alieu and Isatu Wurie, of Bowie, traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2024 for a Mecca pilgrimage, but the travel agency they used was “not in good standing” with Maryland, according to WJLA.F

“Once they got to Saudi Arabia, they realized the travel agency they had used may have been fraudulent or just a scam, and stealing money because a lot of the things they were promised were not provided,” Saida Wurie, the daughter of the late couple, told the news outlet at the time.

She said the couple had “waited their entire lives” for the trip, but the $20,000 all-inclusive trip they had booked turned into a nightmare for the couple, as they were met with challenges that included visa issues, transportation woes and a lack of suitable accommodations.

“The heat conditions were 120+, which may have caused them to have some type of illness,” Saida Wurie told WUSA. “Especially after walking through the night when they should have been afforded the tents to relax, which, again they were promised.”

The Wuries reportedly went missing before being found dead in Saudi Arabia.

It’s a tragedy that Boafo, the delegate for Prince George’s County, wanted to ensure never happened again.

“The Don’t You Wurie Act is a direct response to that tragedy, and I am proud that after two years of fighting for this legislation, no other family will have to suffer such a preventable and devastating loss,” he wrote on X.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is the Wurie family? New Maryland law is named in their honor