Committee hears testimony backing new gift‑card fraud statute to aid prosecutions

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.