Bill Text: TX HB201 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the financial crimes intelligence center.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2025-06-20 - Effective on 9/1/25 [HB201 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB201-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 201 | ||
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| relating to the financial crimes intelligence center. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 2312.001, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subdivisions (4-a) and (4-b) and amending Subdivision (5) | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (4-a) "Motor fuel manipulation device" means a | ||
| mechanism manufactured, assembled, or adapted to manipulate or | ||
| alter a motor fuel metering device or a motor fuel unattended | ||
| payment terminal for an unlawful purpose. | ||
| (4-b) "Motor fuel theft" means an act that: | ||
| (A) constitutes an offense under Section 31.03, | ||
| Penal Code; and | ||
| (B) qualifies for an affirmative finding of motor | ||
| fuel theft under Article 42.019, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
| (5) "Skimmer" means an electronic, mechanical, or | ||
| other device that may be used to unlawfully intercept electronic | ||
| communications or data to perpetrate card fraud. The term includes | ||
| a credit card shimmer. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 2312.052, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 2312.052. PURPOSES OF CENTER. The purposes of the | ||
| center are to: | ||
| (1) serve as the state's primary entity for the | ||
| planning, coordination, and integration of law enforcement | ||
| agencies and other governmental agencies that respond to criminal | ||
| activity related to card fraud, including through the use of | ||
| skimmers, and motor fuel theft; and | ||
| (2) maximize the ability of the department, law | ||
| enforcement agencies, and other governmental agencies to detect, | ||
| prevent, and respond to criminal activities related to card fraud | ||
| and motor fuel theft. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 2312.054, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (b-1) to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (b) The center shall assist law enforcement agencies, other | ||
| governmental agencies, financial institutions, credit card | ||
| issuers, debit card issuers, payment card networks, institutions of | ||
| higher education, and merchants in their efforts to develop and | ||
| implement strategies to: | ||
| (1) detect skimmers and motor fuel manipulation | ||
| devices; | ||
| (2) ensure an effective response if a skimmer or motor | ||
| fuel manipulation device is found; and | ||
| (3) prevent card fraud and motor fuel theft. | ||
| (b-1) On request of a law enforcement or other governmental | ||
| agency, the center may provide assistance to that agency regarding | ||
| any matter within the center's expertise. | ||
| (c) The center may: | ||
| (1) serve as a centralized collection point for | ||
| information related to card fraud and motor fuel theft; | ||
| (2) provide training and educational opportunities to | ||
| law enforcement; | ||
| (3) provide outreach to the public; and | ||
| (4) release information to affected financial | ||
| institutions, credit card issuers, debit card issuers, payment card | ||
| networks, institutions of higher education, and merchants if the | ||
| center does not consider the information to be sensitive to law | ||
| enforcement. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 2312.055(b), Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b) The report must include: | ||
| (1) a plan of operation for the center and an estimate | ||
| of the amount of money necessary to implement that plan; | ||
| (2) an assessment of the current state of card fraud | ||
| and motor fuel theft in this state, including: | ||
| (A) an identification of the geographic | ||
| locations in this state that have the highest statistical | ||
| probability for card fraud and motor fuel theft; and | ||
| (B) a summary of card fraud and motor fuel theft | ||
| statistics for the year in which the report is filed; | ||
| (3) a detailed plan of operation for combatting card | ||
| fraud and motor fuel theft; | ||
| (4) a communications plan for outreach to law | ||
| enforcement agencies, financial institutions, credit card issuers, | ||
| debit card issuers, payment card networks, merchants, and the | ||
| public; and | ||
| (5) a list of expenditures made since the most recent | ||
| report was filed with the department. | ||
| SECTION 5. Section 2312.102(b), Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b) A grant recipient may use grant money to: | ||
| (1) reduce card fraud by removing skimmers; | ||
| (2) purchase or upgrade fraud deterrence equipment, | ||
| including unique locking systems, cameras, and lights; | ||
| (3) provide training opportunities regarding | ||
| skimmers; and | ||
| (4) conduct public outreach regarding card fraud and | ||
| motor fuel theft. | ||
| SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 201 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 30, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 123, Nays 15, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 201 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 26, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
