Saturday, September 6, 2008
The General Assembly is not in session.
Tracking Virginia’s General Assembly
since 2007.
HB329: Gift certificates; certain information required for those charged a fee.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 59.1-530 and 59.1-531 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 59.1-530. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
"Gift certificate" or "certificate" means
a certificate, electronic card, or other medium issued by a merchant in
the Commonwealth that evidences the giving of consideration in
exchange for the right to redeem the certificate, electronic card, or other
medium for goods, food, services, credit, or money of at least an equal value,
including any electronic card issued by a merchant with a banked dollar value
where the issuer has received payment for the full banked dollar value for the
future purchase, or delivery, of goods or services and any certificate issued
by a merchant where the issuer has received payment for the full face value of
the certificate for future purchases, or delivery, of goods or services.
"Issuer" means the person issuing a gift certificate.
"Merchant" means an owner or operator of
any mercantile establishment or any agent, employee, lessee, consignee,
officer, director, franchisee, or independent contractor of such owner or
operator.
§ 59.1-531. Required disclosures.
A. Each gift certificate issued by a merchant in the
Commonwealth that has an expiration date or otherwise has
a limit on the
time for redemption shall include either (i) a statement of the
expiration date of the certificate or (ii) a telephone number or Internet
address where the holder of the certificate may obtain information regarding
the expiration date or other limit on the time for redemption of
the certificate.
B. Each gift certificate issued by a merchant in the
Commonwealth that diminishes in value over time shall include a
telephone number or Internet address where the holder of the certificate may
obtain information regarding the diminution in the value of the certificate
over time.
C. Each gift certificate issued that is charged a fee for maintenance, service, or inactivity shall include a telephone number or Internet address where the holder of the certificate may obtain information regarding any fees, including, but not limited to, maintenance fees, service fees, or inactivity fees, assessed against the card's value.
D. The information required by this section shall be clearly and permanently imprinted on the certificate.
Additional Data
Explanation
This is the actual text of the bill — the legislation itself. Generally this is amending existing law, proposing the addition or removal of words from laws that are already on the books.
Words that are highlighted in yellow are
proposed additions, and words that are crossed out in
red are proposed removals.
The numbers with the § symbol before them are references to existing laws, and if you click on them they’ll take you to that part of the law on the state's website.