An Act to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-191, 18.2-192, 18.2-193, 18.2-195, 18.2-197, 18.2-198, and 18.2-198.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to offenses relating to gift cards; penalties.
HB662 updates Virginia’s criminal code provisions governing offenses involving credit cards and gift cards. The bill amends the definitions section of Article 6 to add and clarify terms such as “closed-loop gift card,” “open-loop gift card,” “gift card holder,” “gift card issuer,” “gift card seller,” and “gift card redemption information.” It also refines existing definitions related to credit cards, debit cards, payment device numbers, and the meaning of “value” for purposes of theft and fraud offenses.
By revising §§ 18.2-191, 18.2-192, 18.2-193, 18.2-195, 18.2-197, 18.2-198, and 18.2-198.1, the bill appears aimed at modernizing Virginia’s fraud and theft statutes to better address both physical and digital gift cards, including prepaid cards used at single merchants or across payment networks. The changes likely affect how prosecutors, courts, merchants, financial institutions, and consumers understand and apply criminal penalties for misuse, theft, or fraudulent handling of card-based payment instruments.
The bill amends existing Virginia criminal statutes in Title 18.2 to expressly include gift cards within the framework of offenses relating to credit cards and payment devices. It broadens and clarifies statutory definitions that determine what conduct is covered and how loss or “value” is measured, which can affect charging decisions, proof of damages, and penalty exposure in fraud and theft cases involving gift cards, debit cards, and payment device numbers.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available materials. The enacted chapter status suggests the bill moved successfully through the legislative process and was approved, indicating at least general legislative support for updating the law to reflect modern payment methods and gift card fraud concerns.
Because no discussion transcripts or vote breakdowns are available, specific points of contention cannot be identified from the record provided. If there was any disagreement, it would most likely have centered on the breadth of the new definitions, the scope of criminal liability for gift card-related conduct, or how “value” is calculated for penalties, but those issues are not documented in the supplied materials.