BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2624

By: Perez

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that certain perpetrators of credit card or debit card abuse work in groups and may travel to commit their crimes and that the card account holders may be in a different state or county. H.B. 2624 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the prosecution of credit card or debit card abuse offenses in any county where the offense was committed or in the county where the victim resides and by including these offenses and certain other fraud-related offenses in the scope of provisions regarding proof of intent to defraud. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2624 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to authorize the prosecution of a credit or debit card abuse offense in any county in which the offense was committed or in the county of residence for any person whose credit or debit card was unlawfully possessed or used by the defendant. The bill includes such offenses and offenses involving the fraudulent use or possession of identifying information among the offenses for which intent to defraud any particular person does not need to be proved in the trial of the offense.         

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.