Bill > HB1716

This bill creates the offense of organized retail theft, which involves acting in concert with others to commit theft of merchandise from retailers with the intent to sell, exchange, or dispose of the merchandise for value, or receiving, possessing, concealing, storing, or purchasing merchandise explicitly represented as stolen from a retailer. The bill establishes penalties for organized retail theft, with harsher penalties for those who recruit, coordinate, organize, supervise, direct, manage, or finance others to engage in organized retail theft. The bill also creates an organized retail theft task force under the Department of the Attorney General to address this issue.