Mary Ann Perez, Texas State Representative of 144th District (D) | https://www.houstonchronicle.com
Mary Ann Perez, Texas State Representative of 144th District (D) | https://www.houstonchronicle.com
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of fraudulent use, possession, or tampering with gift cards or gift card data’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill establishes a criminal offense related to the fraudulent use, possession, or tampering with gift cards or gift card data, taking effect Sept. 1, 2025. It defines key terms, including "counterfeit gift card" and "digital imprint," and outlines actions constituting an offense, such as possessing un-activated or counterfeit gift cards with intent to defraud. A rebuttable presumption exists for possessing three or more such cards or data without consent. The offense's severity ranges from a state jail felony to a first-degree felony based on the number of involved cards or imprints. The bill allows for prosecution under multiple laws and restitution to victims for losses incurred, excluding attorney's fees.
Mary Ann Perez, member of the House Committee on S/C on Transportation Funding and vice chair of the House Committee on Transportation, proposed another two bills during the 89(R) legislative session.
Perez graduated from the University of Houston Downtown with a BA.
Mary Ann Perez is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 144th House district. She replaced previous state representative Barbara Legler in 2017.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 4824 | 04/03/2025 | Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for certain qualified projects |
| HB 316 | 04/03/2025 | Relating to creating a criminal offense for interfering with a motor fuel metering device or motor fuel unattended payment terminal and the prosecution of certain organized criminal activity |
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