Under the law of a recently passed bill in Pennsylvania, the US, a scrap processor and recycling facility operator must collect additional information from catalytic converter (CAT) sellers, including the year, make, model and VIN of the vehicle from which the CAT was removed, as well as a photograph of the CAT and a photograph of the seller.
In her Memorandum ‘Preventing Catalytic Converter Theft’, to all Pennsylvania House Members earlier this year, MaryLouise Isaacson, the sponsor of the bill and House Representative, said:
“Theft of catalytic converters continues to rise across America. As the COVID-19 pandemic created stress on the mining of metals across the globe, the price for the metals inside of catalytic converters has skyrocketed. This has led to a spike in catalytic converter theft with the parts being stolen from underneath parked cars to be sold illegally as scrap.”
Isaacson added:
“Car owners should not bear the expense of replacing pricey stolen parts from their vehicles. Ensuring these details and photographs are recorded prior to the completion of the sale will help to prevent these thefts in the future.”
House Bill 791 states that ‘an individual who violates this section would be guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. The amendment sets the minimum fine for a conviction at $5,000.’ And that ‘a misdemeanor of the third degree is punishable by imprisonment not to exceed 1 year.’
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 791 on June 28. Of the 203 House of Representatives, 119 voted favourably and 84 opposed.
Source www.legis.state.pa.us
