On November 18, 2022, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) of Minnesota, and Senator Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon sponsored the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act. The House companion bill is H.R. 6394 by Representative James Baird (R) from Indiana.
The goal of the legislation is to better combat rising events of catalytic converter thefts by physically marking each converter with a traceable identification number and to mark converter thefts as criminal offenses.
Catalytic converters are used to reduce the potency of toxic emissions from an internal combustion engine and are required for vehicle compliance with the Clean Air Act.
Catalytic converters are made with trace amounts of precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium—all valuable metals that can be removed and sold.
Between 2019 and 2020, catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise, tripling.
Losing a catalytic converter to theft can cost vehicle owners up to $2,300, and depending on how it was removed, can result in the vehicle being a write-off.
The NTEA, the Association for the Work Truck Industry, also announced its support for the legislation.
“Throughout the country, we’ve seen an alarming increase in catalytic converter thefts. These converters can be easily taken from unattended cars but are difficult and expensive for car owners to replace,” said Klobuchar. “By making catalytic converter theft a criminal offense and ensuring each converter can be easily tracked, our legislation would provide law enforcement officers with the tools and resources they need to crack down on these crimes.”
Added Wyden, “The theft of catalytic converters hurts the pocketbooks of working families and small business owners already struggling with rising costs. By strengthening local law enforcement’s ability to locate stolen car parts, we will be one step closer in the fight to end catalytic converter theft.”
The Act seeks to:
- Require all new vehicles to have a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) stamped onto the converter. This will allow law enforcement officers to link stolen parts to the vehicle from which they originate;
- Create a grant program through which entities can stamp VINs onto catalytic converters of existing vehicles;
- Improve record-keeping standards for purchasers of used catalytic converters, and;
- Establish enforceability of laws around catalytic converter theft by codifying these crimes as criminal offenses.
The bill has been endorsed by the National Automobile Dealers Association, the American Truck Dealers, the American Trucking Association, the Automotive Recyclers Association, the National Automatic Merchandising Association, the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the National RV Dealers Association, the National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program, NTEA — The Association for the Work Truck Industry, the American Car Rental Association, the NAFA Fleet Management Association, the National Consumers League, the National Private Truck Council, and the Truck Renting and Leasing Association.