St. Paul, Minn.—Today, the House Commerce Committee discussed legislation authored by Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), to address the rising incidences of catalytic converter thefts in our state.
“Catalytic converter thefts continue to be at record levels right now and we rank third in the nation in the theft rates,” said Rep. Richardson. “Minnesotans are asking us to address this critical issue, so they don’t have keep sacrificing their mode of transportation and their paychecks to get to work, school, medical appointments and to run other essential errands.”
For most vehicles, the catalytic converter is in an exterior location beneath the vehicle. Its relative ease of access combined with its valuable materials has made catalytic converters a target for thieves. Rep. Richardson’s bill would require every scrap metal dealer to document a permanent record at the time of each purchase or acquisition of scrap metal. It would also expand the bipartisan catalytic converter theft prevention pilot program to include anti-theft devices.
Additionally, Rep. Richardson’s bill would prohibit the possession of a detached catalytic converter with a few narrow exceptions and would give law enforcement the ability to address situations where individuals are found with multiple detached catalytic converters.
“Catalytic converter thefts have seen a stark increase in the past two years, with law enforcement often unable to track these thefts or trace back the converters,” said Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids), chair of the House Commerce Committee. “We have seen Minnesotans and auto dealerships struggle with this rise, and that’s why the legislature is showing bipartisan support for this new program.”
Last year, to help law enforcement investigate crimes, the Minnesota Legislature included a bipartisan measure in the state budget requiring scrap metal dealers to keep more detailed records of individuals who are selling a catalytic converter. The new law also created a pilot project via the Minnesota Department of Commerce to identify the vehicles most likely to be targeted by a theft and establish a process to label those catalytic converters with unique identification numbers using labels, engravings, paint, or other methods.
Rep. Richardson’s is being laid over for possible inclusion to a future Commerce bill.
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