It won't come in time for this Christmas shopping season.

But those behind the flourishing credit card skimming industry could feel more heat in Pennsylvania under a bill now headed for a vote in the state House of Representatives.

The bill, which passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 25-0 vote this week, would make it illegal to use or possess the hard-to-detect credit card skimmers, which are used to copy identifying information off cards at gas pumps, cash machines and other common points of payment.

It would also criminalize the act of transferring such stolen information onto a different card without the first card user's approval.

Graded as a third-degree felony, the new crime would in many cases carry a stiffer punishment than the theft charges that are currently the standard for prosecution for credit card theft cases.

Punishments for theft charges vary with the value of the amount stolen, and, according to York County District Attorney Tom Kearney, "usually when these people are caught the penalties are not all that great."

A felony conviction, meanwhile, carries a greater chance of prison time for a first offense, longer terms and stiffer fines.

In addition, under the terms of House Bill 1918, the grading for possession or use of a skimming device would jump to a second-degree felony for a second or subsequent offense.

State Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill

Bill sponsor Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill believes a change in approach is needed that includes criminalizing everything about the way many would-be thieves carry out the act.

"There is no other use of those devices, other than to defraud you of your money," Phillips-Hill said at a press conference before Tuesday's vote.

Outlawing scanners would help Pennsylvania catch up to what more than 30 other states have already done, hopefully making Keystone State consumers less of a target in the process.

"Our laws have not kept up with the technology and this is very important to get done," the second-term Republican from Dallastown said.

Phillips-Hill said she was prompted to tackle the issue after seeing reports on the growing issue of credit card theft, which, coupled with her own past experience as a victim, forced her to consider the growing scope of the problem.

According to trade newsletters covering the payment card industry, fraud losses in the United States hit $8.45 billion in 2015. That was 38.7 percent of the worldwide total, even though the U.S. generated just 22.9 percent of global purchase volume.

The bill. which still needs final passage by the full House and consideration in the state Senate before it can be signed into law, has attracted support from both the law enforcement and business communities.