BUSINESS AND COMMERCE CODE

TITLE 11. PERSONAL IDENTITY INFORMATION

SUBTITLE B. IDENTITY THEFT

CHAPTER 522. IDENTITY THEFT BY ELECTRONIC DEVICE



Sec. 522.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Payment card" means a credit card, debit card, check card, or other card that is issued to an authorized user to purchase or obtain goods, services, money, or any other thing of value.

(2) "Re-encoder" means an electronic device that can be used to transfer encoded information from a magnetic strip on a payment card onto the magnetic strip of a different payment card.

(3) "Scanning device" means an electronic device used to access, read, scan, or store information encoded on the magnetic strip of a payment card.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 885 (H.B. 2278), Sec. 2.01, eff. April 1, 2009.



Sec. 522.002. OFFENSE; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person uses a scanning device or re-encoder to access, read, scan, store, or transfer information encoded on the magnetic strip of a payment card without the consent of an authorized user of the payment card and with intent to harm or defraud another.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state jail felony if the information accessed, read, scanned, stored, or transferred was protected health information as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Privacy Standards, as defined by Section 181.001, Health and Safety Code.

(c) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section or the other law.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 885 (H.B. 2278), Sec. 2.01, eff. April 1, 2009.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1126 (H.B. 300), Sec. 16, eff. September 1, 2012.