Committee reports two gift-card fraud bills to the House

The House Regulatory Reform Committee voted to report two bills aimed at curbing gift-card fraud to the full House on a voice/roll call vote Wednesday. Representative Wozniak moved to report House Bill 4598 with recommendation; the clerk recorded 13 ayes, 0 nays and the motion prevailed. Representative Tyrone Carter then moved to report House Bill 4599 as substituted H-1; that motion also carried by a 13-0 recorded vote.

Committee members said the measures respond to testimony and enforcement gaps identified earlier. Representative Fairbairn said testimony received in June showed the bills “helped to curtail some of the fraud and abuse that happens when there are people that steal gift cards,” and that members had had “enough time to consider those bills,” prompting the committee to vote.

House Bill 4599 was considered with substitute H-1, described at the hearing as cleanup language to refine definitional changes. Representative Liberati moved to adopt the substitute; the committee adopted substitute H-1 on a recorded vote of 13-0 before voting to report the bill as substituted.

The committee did not take additional amendments on the floor of the committee and did not send the bills back for further testimony. The clerk’s roll calls recorded the same set of members for both roll-call actions.

Votes at a glance: - House Bill 4598: Motion to report with recommendation; mover: Representative Wozniak; recorded vote: 13 ayes, 0 nays, 0 passes; outcome: reported with recommendation. - House Bill 4599 (as substituted H-1): Substitute H-1 adopted (mover: Representative Liberati); subsequent motion to report as substituted (mover: Representative Tyrone Carter); recorded vote: 13 ayes, 0 nays, 0 passes; outcome: reported with recommendation as substituted H-1.

The committee record shows the measures will move to the next House stage; no additional details about floor scheduling were announced at the committee meeting.