S.B. No. 223 Summary

• Creates Organized Retail Theft Advisory Council within the Attorney General's office with representatives from retail merchants, sheriffs, and loss prevention professionals to advise on detecting, deterring, and prosecuting organized retail theft.

• Establishes Organized Retail Theft Task Force within the organized crime investigations commission to investigate organized retail theft activities across one or more counties.

• Creates new crime of "organized retail theft" (Section 2913.08) making it illegal to steal retail property valued at $1,000+ from retail establishments to sell to fences or resell, with felony penalties ranging from third to first degree based on value.

• Modifies retail theft definitions in organized crime statutes (Section 2923.31) to include organized retail theft as corrupt activity, allowing enhanced prosecution under RICO-type laws.

• Appropriates $1.5 million to the Organized Crime Commission Fund for fiscal year 2024 to support task force operations, and increases retail vendor license fees from $25 to $50, with $25 of each fee directed to the organized crime commission fund.