Bill > HF3155

This bill expands the legal definition of organized retail theft in Minnesota by adding specific provisions related to gift cards and modifying existing statutes. The bill introduces new definitions for closed-loop and open-loop gift cards, clarifying that gift cards are now considered tangible property for the purposes of retail merchandise theft. It broadens the definition of "value" for gift cards to include the potential economic loss a property owner might suffer, which could encompass the full monetary face value or potential value of variable-load gift cards. The bill also modifies the organized retail theft statute to include an additional prohibited action: tampering with stolen retail merchandise for the purpose of obtaining value from a retailer or retail customer. These changes effectively make gift card fraud a more explicit part of organized retail theft, allowing law enforcement and prosecutors to more comprehensively address sophisticated retail theft schemes. The bill will become effective on August 1, 2025, and will apply to crimes committed on or after that date, giving retailers and law enforcement time to prepare for the new provisions.

Justice

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF3155&ssn=0&y=2025