| 1 | 1 | | 89R10222 JDK-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cook H.B. No. 3168 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the creation of the offense of fraudulent use or |
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| 10 | 10 | | possession of a gift card or gift card redemption information. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 32, Penal Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 13 | | by adding Section 32.56 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 32.56. FRAUDULENT USE OR POSSESSION OF GIFT CARD OR |
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| 15 | 15 | | GIFT CARD REDEMPTION INFORMATION. (a) In this section: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) "Cardholder" means a person to whom a physical or |
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| 17 | 17 | | virtual gift card is given or any person who purchased the gift |
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| 18 | 18 | | card. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Card issuer" means any person that issues a gift |
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| 20 | 20 | | card or the agent of that person with respect to the card. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) "Gift card" means a card, code, or device that is |
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| 22 | 22 | | issued to a consumer on a prepaid basis in a specified amount and |
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| 23 | 23 | | redeemable upon presentation for the purchase of goods or services |
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| 24 | 24 | | and that is either activated or inactivated. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) "Gift card redemption information" means |
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| 26 | 26 | | information unique to each gift card that allows the cardholder to |
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| 27 | 27 | | access, transfer, or spend funds on the gift card. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (5) "Gift card seller" means a merchant engaged in the |
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| 29 | 29 | | business of selling gift cards to consumers. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) A person commits an offense if the person, with the |
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| 31 | 31 | | intent to harm or defraud another: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) acquires or retains possession of a gift card or |
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| 33 | 33 | | gift card redemption information without the consent of the |
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| 34 | 34 | | cardholder, card issuer, or gift card seller; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) alters or tampers with a gift card; or |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) uses or attempts to use a gift card or gift card |
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| 37 | 37 | | redemption information to obtain goods, services, or anything else |
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| 38 | 38 | | of value with knowledge that the gift card or gift card redemption |
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| 39 | 39 | | information has been obtained in violation of Subdivision (1) or |
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| 40 | 40 | | altered or tampered with. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) An offense under this section is: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) a Class C misdemeanor if the value of the gift |
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| 43 | 43 | | card, gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved is |
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| 44 | 44 | | less than $100; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) a Class B misdemeanor if the value of the gift |
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| 46 | 46 | | card, gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved is |
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| 47 | 47 | | $100 or more but less than $750; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (3) a Class A misdemeanor if the value of the gift |
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| 49 | 49 | | card, gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved is |
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| 50 | 50 | | $750 or more but less than $2,500; |
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| 51 | 51 | | (4) a state jail felony if the value of the gift card, |
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| 52 | 52 | | gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved is $2,500 |
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| 53 | 53 | | or more but less than $30,000; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (5) a felony of the third degree if the value of the |
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| 55 | 55 | | gift card, gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved |
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| 56 | 56 | | is $30,000 or more but less than $150,000; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (6) a felony of the second degree if the value of the |
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| 58 | 58 | | gift card, gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved |
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| 59 | 59 | | is $150,000 or more but less than $300,000; and |
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| 60 | 60 | | (7) a felony of the first degree if the value of the |
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| 61 | 61 | | gift card, gift cards, or gift card redemption information involved |
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| 62 | 62 | | is $300,000 or more. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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