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The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, introduced by Democratic Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, would "stricter penalties for those found guilty of organized retail crime and by facilitating the identification and prosecution of those who participate in it," the Senators said in a statement. It would also put pressure on retailers, especially online, to shut down sellers or auctioners accused of wrongdoing.
Another bill, the bipartisan Organized Retail Crime Act of 2009, was introduced in the House by Reps. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio.) The bill would specifically amend federal code to address organized retail crime, and also force online marketplaces to force off sellers accused of wrongdoing.
A third bill, the E-Fencing Enforcement Act of 2009, is sponsored by Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia and would push online retailers to halt sales of stolen merchandise.
The National Retail Federation announced its support for all three bills. "Organized retail crime is a rapidly growing problem, especially as challenging economic times increase the market for stolen merchandise,” vice president of loss prevention Joseph LaRocca said in a statement. "The legislation being introduced... shows that Congress is ready to stop treating the perpetrators of ORC like petty shoplifters and recognize them for the professional criminals they really are.”
The Consumer Electronics Association has not taken an official position on any of the three bills, CEA's chief of legislative affairs, Jason Oxman, told Dealerscope in an e-mail.
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