Committee hears testimony backing new gift‑card fraud statute to aid prosecutions
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Summary
Representative Dave Hinman told the committee HB 19 90 would create definitions and penalties for gift-card tampering and fraud. Retail, grocer and banking groups supported the bill, saying organized, technologically sophisticated schemes have increased and current statutes lack useful definitions.
Representative Dave Hinman presented House Bill 19 90 to create an offense and definitions for gift-card fraud, including defining the value of a card as the highest amount displayed and adding penalties for tampering or schemes to obtain redemption information.
Hinman described the growth of coordinated gift-card schemes tied to organized retail crime and argued a statutory definition is necessary for effective prosecution. "It's time that Missouri put something in state statutes," he told the committee, citing a rise in schemes and a lack of clear statutory definitions for gift cards.
Retail and convenience-store industry witnesses — including David Overfelt (Missouri Retailers Association) and Ron Leone (Missouri Petroleum and Convenience Association) — testified in support, describing sophisticated tampering operations and reimbursement practices for consumers. A bankers association representative also voiced support for the bill as part of fraud-prevention efforts.
Committee members asked about penalty alignment with theft statutes and whether the new definitions would interact with recent changes to forensic/DNA rules; sponsors said prosecutors suggested technical edits and that penalty classes are intended to align with existing thresholds used for other theft offenses.