The New Jersey state Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee approved a bill today which would strengthen penalties for shoplifters as retail thefts continue to rise throughout the state and the country.

The bill would allow extended sentencing for individuals convicted of shoplifting three times in a 10-year period or within 10 years of their release from confinement and upgrade penalties for leading a retail crime ring to carry between 10 and 20 years’ imprisonment.

The bill comes following similar moves in neighboring New York and and Pennsylvania, which lawmakers feared would encourage shoplifters to shift to New Jersey stores.

The bill, which was approved unanimously, also contains provisions intended to tackle gift card scams by requiring extensive packaging for gift cards that are not chip-enabled, exclusive to the retailer selling them, or secured in a place only accessible by employees.

Additionally, retailers that sell gift cards would be required to train their workers on how to spot attempts at fraud involving gift cards and post notices highlighting the risk of such scams.