Public Safety - Militia - Active Duty Combat (Defend the Guard)
Summary
HB1319 creates a new criminal offense for theft of redeemable credit points. The bill defines “points” broadly to include retail credit, credit card points, travel points, and frequent flyer miles, so long as they are earned through a business’s requirements and can be redeemed for benefits, goods, or services. It prohibits a person from knowingly or willfully obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over those points with the intent to deprive the owner of them.
The bill also sets penalties for violations. A person convicted under the new section would be guilty of a felony and could face up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, and would be required to pay the owner the value of the stolen points. The act would take effect October 1, 2025, and would add a new section to Maryland’s Criminal Law Article governing theft.
Impact
HB1319 would expand Maryland theft law to expressly cover digital and loyalty-based value that is not traditional cash or tangible property. By adding Criminal Law § 7-111, it would give prosecutors a specific statute to use in cases involving unauthorized taking of rewards points, airline miles, and similar consumer credits, and it would create a restitution obligation tied to the value of the points. The bill would affect businesses that issue loyalty programs, consumers who hold such accounts, and anyone accused of misusing or stealing redeemable points.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the limited available context, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and consumer-protection bill aimed at modernizing theft law for digital rewards and loyalty currencies. There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so no clear bipartisan or partisan sentiment can be inferred from debate. The introduction by multiple delegates suggests at least some legislative interest in addressing this gap in the criminal code.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is whether redeemable points and miles should be treated like property subject to felony theft penalties, especially given their varying terms of use, valuation challenges, and the possibility of account disputes being criminalized. Another likely issue is the breadth of the definition of “points,” which covers several types of consumer rewards and could raise questions about proof of ownership, valuation, and enforcement. No specific objections or supporters are documented in the provided transcript or vote materials.