An Act To Criminalize Certain Offenses Related To Gift Card Thefts

LD 1773 defines "retail merchandise" to explicitly include gift cards under Maine's organized retail theft laws. This change directly affects individuals who steal gift cards from retailers, making such thefts subject to the same criminal penalties as other stolen retail items. The bill's key mechanism is expanding the legal definition in existing law to cover gift cards as a distinct form of stolen property. It does not create new penalties but clarifies that gift card theft falls under current organized retail theft statutes.