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S. 3636: Gift Card Consumer Protection Act of 2012

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S. 3636: Gift Card Consumer Protection Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-11-26 · Finance and Financial Sector · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2012-11-26 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Gift Card Consumer Protection Act of 2012

Plain summary

Gift Card Consumer Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to repeal the exclusion from, and so include within, the definitions of "general-use prepaid card," "gift certificate," and "store gift card" a loyalty, award, or promotional gift card (thus extending to the latter the same consumer protections). Repeals exceptions to the prohibitions against: (1) imposition of a dormancy fee, an inactivity fee, or a service fee in connection with a gift certificate, store gift card, or general-use prepaid card; and (2) the sale of gift cards with expiration dates. (Thereby renders such fees and expiration dates unlawful without exception.) Makes it unlawful for a person that has filed for federal bankruptcy protection to either sell, resell, issue, or reissue a gift certificate or store gift card. Amends federal bankruptcy law to declare that the filing of a petition in bankruptcy shall not operate as a stay against the presentation or redemption of a gift certificate or store gift card at full value. Requires the trustee in bankruptcy, if the debtor's business is authorized to be operated, unless the court orders otherwise, to: (1) honor at full value a gift certificate or store gift card issued by the debtor, and (2) treat the gift certificate or gift card the same as cash.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Gift Card Consumer Protection Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bernard Sanders (I-VT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] reported raising $771,465 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-s3636 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112