SB 280 DE
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THEFT.
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Summary
This bill establishes definitions and criminal penalties for gift card theft in Delaware. It makes it illegal, with intent to defraud, to acquire or retain possession of a gift card or gift card redemption information without consent, to alter or tamper with a gift card or its packaging, to devise a scheme to obtain gift cards or redemption information obtained through illegal means, or to use illegally obtained gift cards or redemption information to obtain money, goods, services, or anything else of value. Violations are punishable under the existing theft statutes in Title 11.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill (from the OpenStates abstract — no full text available yet) — neutral, and may be imperfect.
Official abstract
Scams and fraud related to gift cards are rapidly becoming a major issue in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission reported more than 41,000 gift card fraud reports or $212 million in losses in 2024 with the final numbers for 2025 expected to be similar. With advancements in technology, these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and consequential for consumers. This Act sets forth the definitions and elements of crimes related to gift card theft. It establishes that a person is guilty of gift card theft if one of the following criteria is true (with the intent to defraud): 1. Acquires or retains possession of a gift card or gift card redemption information without the consent of the cardholder, card issuer, or gift card seller. 2. Alters or tampers with a gift card or the packaging in which it is offered for sale. 3. Devises a scheme to obtain a gift card or gift card redemption information that has been obtained in violation of paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section or as a result of a scheme described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. 4. Uses, for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, services, or anything else of value, a gift card or gift card redemption information that has been obtained in violation of paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section or as a result of a scheme described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. Lastly, this Act establishes that gift card theft is punishable under § 841(c) and § 841(d) of Title 11.
Sponsors (4)
- Bryan Townsend Democratic · primary
- William Bush Democratic · primary
- Nicole Poore Democratic · primary
- Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic · primary
Action history (6)
- Apr 15, 2026 Introduced and Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate · upper
- May 20, 2026 Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits · upper
- May 21, 2026 Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT · upper
- Jun 4, 2026 Assigned to Judiciary Committee in House · lower
- Jun 10, 2026 Reported Out of Committee (Judiciary) in House with 8 On Its Merits · lower
- Jun 25, 2026 Passed By House. Votes: 36 YES 5 ABSENT · lower
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