HCSHB725--OFFENSESINVOLVINGTELLERMACHINES
SPONSOR: Francis
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonCrimePreventionandPublicSafetybyavoteof21to
0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
725.
Thisbilladdsdamaging,destroying,ormakinginoperable,a
"tellermachine",asdefinedinthebill,totheoffenseof
propertydamageinthefirstdegree.ThisoffenseisaclassD
felony;aclassCfelonyifcommittedforthepurposeofexecuting
anyschemeorartificetodefraudorobtainanypropertythat
exceeds$750orthedamagetothetellermachineexceeds$750;and
aclassBfelonyifthedamagecommittedwastoobtainthepersonal
financialcredentialsofanotherpersonoriscommittedasasecond
violation.
ThebillalsoprovidesthattheoffenseofstealingisaClassC
felonyifthepropertyisatellermachineorthecontentsofa
tellermachineregardlessofthevalueoramountofcash.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthiscreatesapenaltyprovision
specificallyforATM"smashandgrabs."Thereiscurrentlyno
penaltyforthis.Peoplehavebeenchargedwiththeftorproperty
damagebutnotthisoffensespecifically. Theterm"smashand
grab"involvesdestroyinganATMtotakeitscontents. Thisoften
happensinthemiddleofthenightandinvolvesusingheavy
equipment. Alotoftimesthiscausesatotallosstothemachine,
whichcancost$30,000-$80,000andoftentimesthesemachinesare
theonlywayforpeopletoaccessessentialfinances. Atleasta
quarterofthemembersofthebankers’associationhaveexperienced
somesortofsmashandgrabissuewithoneoftheirATMs.Other
stateshavepassedthislaw,includingTexasandKansas.Even
thoughthisisalreadyafederalcrimebecauseitinvolvesabank,
thegoalofmakingitastatelawistodeteritfromhappeningand
doingwhatcanbedonetolimittheoccurrences.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Francis;
MissouriIndependentBankersAssociation;MissouriBankers
Association;andtheMoCreditUnionAssociation. OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.