VirginiaHB6622026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties.

Sponsored By: Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

Offenses relating to gift cards; penalties. Adds the offenses of gift card theft, gift card forgery, gift card fraud, and criminally receiving goods and services fraudulently obtained to the existing provisions of law related to credit cards. This bill is identical to SB 444.

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Tougher penalties for credit and gift card fraud

The law treats stealing a gift card or its redemption code as theft and charges it as grand larceny. Making, altering, or tampering with credit or gift cards to cheat is forgery and is a Class 5 felony. Using stolen, fake, expired, or revoked cards to get money, goods, or services is illegal. If the value is under $1,000 in any six-month period, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor; at $1,000 or more in six months, it is a Class 6 felony. People who receive items they know were obtained by card fraud face the same $1,000 threshold and penalties. Conspiracy to commit credit or gift card fraud is a Class 6 felony. Merchants or their agents who knowingly run fraudulent transactions can also be charged.

Discounted tickets from resellers carry risk

If you buy a discounted travel ticket from someone who is not an agent of the carrier, the law may presume you knew it was obtained illegally. This applies when the ticket came from card fraud and you did not make a reasonable check of the seller’s right to have it. This presumption can be used against you in court.

More places to prosecute card fraud

Prosecutors can bring card or gift card cases in any Virginia county or city tied to the crime. They can file where any act occurred, where an issuer or cardholder lost money, or where the cardholder or gift card holder lives. For theft of card numbers or gift cards, they can also file where a card, number, or redemption info was used, attempted, or held for fraud.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Michelle Lopes Maldonado

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 233 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/27/2026

Passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 37 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/26/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/26/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/25/2026

Reported from Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 15 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/23/2026

Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations Block Vote

Yes: 13 • No: 0

House vote 2/17/2026

Read third time and passed House Block Vote

Yes: 97 • No: 0

House vote 2/13/2026

Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute

Yes: 21 • No: 0

House vote 2/11/2026

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

Yes: 10 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0196)

    4/6/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 196 (effective 7/1/2026)

    4/6/2026Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/10/2026Governor
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

    3/10/2026House
  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB662)

    3/5/2026House
  6. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB662ER)

    3/4/2026House
  7. Enrolled

    3/4/2026House
  8. Signed by President

    3/4/2026Senate
  9. Signed by Speaker

    3/4/2026House
  10. Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/2/2026 9:11 am)

    3/2/2026House
  11. Passed Senate Block Vote (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/27/2026Senate
  12. Read third time

    2/27/2026Senate
  13. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/26/2026Senate
  14. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/26/2026Senate
  15. Rules suspended

    2/26/2026Senate
  16. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)

    2/25/2026Senate
  17. Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations Block Vote (13-Y 0-N)

    2/23/2026Senate
  18. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

    2/18/2026Senate
  19. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

    2/18/2026Senate
  20. Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/17/2026House
  21. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    2/16/2026House
  22. committee substitute agreed to

    2/16/2026House
  23. Read second time

    2/16/2026House
  24. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB662)

    2/16/2026House
  25. Read first time

    2/15/2026House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation