Senate Invoice Targets Catalytic Converters
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
Laws concentrating on the theft and trafficking of catalytic converters was not too long ago launched within the U.S. Senate.
Sponsored by Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Ron Wyden of Oregon, the Stopping Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act, would require catalytic converters to be marked with identification numbers on most autos.
The invoice’s goal is to help regulation enforcement nationwide tasked with responding to the thefts of such units.
We have seen an alarming rise in catalytic converter thefts, which places individuals in danger and creates further prices. My new invoice would assist fight this concern and ensure regulation enforcement officers have the instruments they should crack down on these crimes.https://t.co/8W45ifLAfT
— Senator Amy Klobuchar (@SenAmyKlobuchar) November 16, 2022
“All through the nation, we’ve seen an alarming enhance in catalytic converter thefts. These converters may be simply taken from unattended automobiles however are tough and costly for automobile house owners to switch,” Klobuchar, a member of the Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over trucking coverage, stated this month.
“By making catalytic converter theft a legal offense and making certain every converter may be simply tracked,” she continued, “our laws would supply regulation enforcement officers with the instruments and assets they should crack down on these crimes.”
“The theft of catalytic converters hurts the pocketbooks of working households and small enterprise house owners already battling rising prices,” stated Wyden, chairman of the tax-writing Finance Committee.
“By strengthening native regulation enforcement’s capability to find stolen automobile elements, we can be one step nearer within the combat to finish catalytic converter theft,” Wyden added.
Particularly, the measure would require new autos to have an identification quantity stamped on their converters. The invoice additionally would set up grants for entities in search of to stamp identification numbers onto catalytic converters of used autos. It additionally would pursue record-keeping enhancements for the catalytic converters market, and it will codify sure legal offenses related to catalytic converters.
NTEA helps U.S. Senate catalytic converter anti-theft laws. Here is how one can contact your legislators to help this essential effort. #antitheft #cataylticconverter #partact https://t.co/P6G7pGMHk8 pic.twitter.com/HyYfZBkb8m
— nteanews (@nteanews) November 18, 2022
Earlier this 12 months, Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.) launched comparable laws. “In West Central Indiana and throughout the nation, catalytic converter theft has had a dramatic affect on car and enterprise house owners, main them to await pricey repairs with few instruments to stop comparable crimes sooner or later,” Baird stated in January. He’s the rating member of the Biotechnology, Horticulture and Analysis Subcommittee. “By closing long-exploited loopholes and strengthening regulation enforcement’s capability to find stolen elements and implement the regulation, we will create a safer surroundings for car house owners and put a cease to those crimes as soon as and for all.”
Each payments have garnered bipartisan backing and await consideration of their respective chamber.
Key stakeholders have endorsed the legislative effort this 12 months. These embody the Nationwide Car Sellers Affiliation, American Truck Sellers, American Trucking Associations, the Automotive Recyclers Affiliation, the Nationwide Automated Merchandising Affiliation, the Nationwide Impartial Car Sellers Affiliation and the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, amongst others.
“We’re happy to see Congress taking an lively position in addressing this rising crime that impacts the lives and livelihoods of 1000’s of Individuals throughout the nation,” stated David Glawe, president and CEO of the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, in an announcement accompanying the introduction of the Home invoice.
“Automotive thefts and different auto crimes like catalytic converter thefts have risen dramatically over the previous two years and are at document highs,” added Glawe. “Car house owners pay a excessive worth when a thief targets their catalytic converter, usually incurring misplaced earnings from lacking work, needing to search out and pay for alternate transportation after which paying anyplace from $1,000 to $3,000 to get the car mounted. This invoice is a vital step in serving to convey aid to the individuals most immediately impacted by these crimes.”
“Thieves can simply steal catalytic converters from unattended autos, and since they aren’t readily traceable, there’s a profitable marketplace for these stolen elements,” based on a letter in Might to the Home Power and Commerce panel from stakeholders supportive of the laws led by the Nationwide Car Sellers Affiliation.
“These thefts are costing thousands and thousands of {dollars} to companies and car house owners alike,” the stakeholders wrote additional. “As well as, changing a catalytic converter is expensive and infrequently tough because of the half’s skyrocketing demand and provide chain shortages.”
