Bill by Rep. Bob Rommel targeting retail theft passes House committee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – HB 549, a bill targeting retail theft by Rep. Bob Rommel, R-Naples, passed its committee assignment on Wednesday.

The legislation passed 15-3, with Reps. LaVon Bracey-Davis, D-Ocoee, Michael Gottlieb, D-Davie, and Michelle Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, voting against it.

The bill would make it a third degree felony for an individual who joins five or more people in retail theft, a second degree if the same group encourages others to join in through social media, and a first degree felony for any repeat offenders who have already been convicted of the same crime within a one year time period.

Additionally, the punishment for criminals who steal delivery packages from private properties, commonly known as “porch pirates,” will be a felony if the package is valued at or above $40. Currently, the law enforces punishments of a felony if the product is valued at $100 or above.

“It’s estimated in the United States last year, in 2023, there was $123 billion in retail theft, whether it’s shop lifting or whatever it is, and we’ve seen a rise in these ‘smash and grab’ where a mob will show up and literally destroy a store, scare some of the employees, and it really frightens individuals from shopping,” Rommel said.

He added that the bill will discourage potential criminals from participating in retail theft and will make those who commit the crimes “pay the price” for what they did.

Gottlieb told Rommel that he understands what is trying to be accomplished in the bill; however, he doesn’t believe it is right to issue a felony for an individual who didn’t know that the value of the package was over $40.

“There might be a point in time where I could be an ‘up’ vote on this, but that’s not today,” he said.

Rayner also expressed concerns about the felony enhancements in the bill.

“I tend not to like to create new crimes or either enhance crimes,” she said.

“As Rep. Gottlieb said, I’m not going to say ‘never say never.’ However, I will be a ‘no’ on it today,” she said.

Rommel responded, explaining that he understood where the representatives who disagreed were coming from.

He said that although he doesn’t want to severely harm the future lives of those committing petty thefts, he doesn’t want the “epidemic” of porch pirate thefts to take over Florida’s “thriving economy” and “thriving businesses.”