TX SB1300

Redefines organized retail theft to include: acting in concert with others to steal from merchants, committing theft on two or more occasions within 180 days, knowingly benefiting from others' retail theft, or overwhelming merchant/police security to commit or avoid detection of theft

Increases criminal penalties by one category across all value thresholds: less than $100 becomes Class B misdemeanor (up from Class C); $100-$749 becomes Class A misdemeanor; $750-$2,499 becomes state jail felony; $2,500-$29,999 becomes third-degree felony; $30,000-$149,999 becomes second-degree felony; $150,000+ becomes first-degree felony

Simplifies prosecution by allowing indictments to list only the merchant name and aggregate value range rather than itemizing each piece of stolen property

Creates evidentiary presumptions: unaltered price tags serve as prima facie evidence of merchandise value, and merchant-specific tags prove ownership; evidence of prior theft offenses is admissible to show intent or concert with others

Establishes that deferred adjudication pleas count as prior convictions for penalty enhancement purposes, and eliminates entrapment-related defenses when law enforcement uses undercover operations

Takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to offenses committed on or after that date