The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee adopted a delete-all amendment and a technical amendment to Senate Bill 1198, then reported the committee substitute favorably on unanimous voice/roll call.

Senator DeSigli, sponsor of SB 1198, described the bill as a response to increasing gift-card fraud affecting manufacturers, retailers and consumers. The committee adopted amendment barcode 651406, which streamlined definitions, added schemes to defraud consumers by false pretenses and aligned penalties with the state theft statute, section 812.014. A one-line technical amendment to the amendment (barcode 644732) was also adopted to adjust printing language and to add a provision that alters "tamper with a gift card or its packaging."

Multiple retail and industry groups noted support on the appearance sheet and waived in favor: John Stevenson (Fiserv/INCOM) waived in support; Lorena Holly (Florida Retail Federation) waived in support; others from the retail industry and trade groups also waived in support during the hearing. Senator DeSigli closed and asked for favorable support; the clerk recorded a unanimous vote to report CS/SB 1198 favorably.

Why it matters: the bill clarifies definitions, ties penalties to existing theft statute language, and explicitly criminalizes tampering with gift cards or packaging. Retail trade groups testified by waiver in support; no opposition testimony was recorded during the committee presentation.