SB 58 Summary

• Establishes the crime of theft by shoplifting with six specific prohibited acts: concealing merchandise, altering price tags, transferring goods between containers, interchanging labels, wrongfully reducing the amount paid, and failing to scan items at self-checkout registers.

• Creates four felony and misdemeanor degrees based on property value: first degree (exceeds $2,500, Class B felony), second degree ($1,500-$2,500 or any firearm/rifle/shotgun, Class C felony), third degree ($500-$1,500, Class D felony), and fourth degree (under $500, Class A misdemeanor).

• Establishes organized retail theft as first-degree property theft when the offense involves a common plan by multiple persons to sell stolen property worth at least $1,000 within 180 days, allowing prosecution in any county where the offense occurred or property was disposed.

• Bill is excluded from Amendment 621 requirements regarding local expenditures because it defines a new crime.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and gubernatorial approval.