The bill amends Section 831.01 of the Florida Statutes to include specific criminal penalties for individuals who forge or counterfeit gift certificates with the intent to defraud. The new language explicitly defines a gift certificate as per Section 501.95 and incorporates it into the existing forgery laws, thereby broadening the scope of forgery offenses to include this type of financial instrument.

Additionally, the bill modifies the language regarding the classification of the offense, changing it from "shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree" to "commits a felony of the third degree." This change aims to clarify the legal language while maintaining the same level of severity for the crime. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
S 874 Filed: 831.01