The bill amends Section 831.01 of the Florida Statutes to include specific criminal penalties for individuals who falsely create, alter, forge, or counterfeit gift certificates with the intent to injure or defraud another person. The new language explicitly defines a gift certificate as per Section 501.95 and establishes that such actions will be classified as a felony of the third degree, punishable under the relevant sections of the Florida Statutes.

Additionally, the bill removes the phrase "shall be guilty of" from the existing law, streamlining the language to state that individuals who commit these acts "commit" a felony. The effective date for this legislation is set for October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 874 Filed: 831.01