Anne Geggis
New rules that will help law enforcement target the illegal catalytic converter trade has crossed the finish line in the Legislature, and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
The House legislation (HB 185) was swapped out for the identical Senate version (SB 306) It passed in the House 105-2 with no debate.
It was the last bill the House heard on Wednesday. Republican sponsor Rep. Fred Hawkins of St. Cloud introduced the measure with a joke, and an allusion to the first vote of Wednesday’s House session, which started with a bill that struck down breed-specific dog bans in public housing and local ordinances.
“We started today with Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera’s bill to protect dog breeds and this the bill to protect ‘cats,'” Hawkins said, to laughter and groans.
Republican Sen. Jim Boyd proposed the bill that the Senate passed. Democratic Rep. Joe Casello co-sponsored the House measure.
In championing the effort to stop the market for stolen catalytic converters in its tracks, Boyd relayed how even the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile had fallen prey to this type of theft.
The bill restricts who can purchase the detached auto part and specifies what record-keeping legitimate dealers must maintain.
A catalytic converter is the part of the car that filters out harmful byproducts in exhaust gases and burns them up. It reduces harmful emissions and improves motor vehicles’ efficiency. But those functions are not what’s fueling the illegal trade.
The palladium and platinum in each converter’s core can be worth up to $1,000 on the black market, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
A national crime ring discovered late last year was involved in the theft of $545 million in catalytic converters, according to the Justice Department. The difficulty in tracing these valuable items makes them even more attractive to criminals, testimony revealed.
In committee hearings, testimony revealed thieves had sometimes hit fleets of cars parked outside, making off with the auto part. This bill is modeled on a law that aimed to stop airbag theft.
Violating the law could mean up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
