H.R. 6491: Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-07-15 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-07-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Ellsworth, Brad [D-IN-8] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008

Plain summary

Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to define "organized retail crime" as: (1) the stealing, embezzlement, obtaining by fraud, false pretenses, or other illegal means of retail merchandise in quantities that would not normally be purchased for personal use or consumption for the purpose of reselling or otherwise reentering such retail merchandise in commerce; or (2) the recruitment of persons to participate in such criminal activities. Modifies the crime of transporting and selling or receiving stolen goods to include activities involving organized retail crime and the facilitation of such crime through the operation of an online marketplace. Expands the crime of fraud involving access devices to include the use of gift cards, a Universal Product Code label, or a radio frequency identification transponder to obtain goods or services illegally. Imposes reporting and other requirements on operators of online marketplaces and high volume (at least $12,000 annually) sellers relating to the sale of goods and services suspected of being acquired through organized retail crime. Requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend its guidelines for persons convicted of offenses involving organized retail crime. Provides for civil forfeiture of any property used to commit or facilitate organized retail crime. Allows a business whose goods or services were sold or used in the facilitation of organized retail crime through the operation of an online marketplace to obtain injunctive relief and compensatory damages.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Organized Retail Crime Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ellsworth, Brad [D-IN-8] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jim Jordan (R-OH), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110hr6491.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/hr>

Record fed-us-cong110-hr6491 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110