More Pending Legislation Relating to Gift Cards

We've spent a great deal of time talking about New Jersey developments concerning gift cards (see here). Today, we will review some pending gift card legislation in other states:

AlaskaHouse Bill 75 - Would add "store gift cards" and "general use prepaid cards" to the items explicitly covered by the Alaska Unclaimed Property Act.  The Bill would also prohibit expiration dates of less than five years and would limit the issuer's right to assess dormancy fees.  The Bill is currently pending before the Committee on Labor & Commerce.

Tennessee - House Bill 116 - Would require any gift card issued for payment of a rebate to contain a prominent expiration date.

Texas - Senate Bill 362 - Would lengthen the dormancy period for "stored value cards" from 3 years to 5 years.

MaineL.R. 909 - Would lengthen from 2 years to 5 years the time after which a gift card is deemed abandoned. It also removes the requirement that a merchant must remit 60% of the unclaimed amount to the Treasurer.

Popular Posts