U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) have launched laws to fight the rise in catalytic converter thefts, in response to a information launch.

The Stopping Auto Recycling Thefts (PART) Act would be certain that legislation enforcement can extra successfully deal with these thefts by marking every converter with a traceable identification quantity and establishing converter thefts as a felony offense.

“All through the nation, we’ve seen an alarming improve in catalytic converter thefts,” mentioned Klobuchar.  “These converters will be simply taken from unattended automobiles however are troublesome and costly for automotive house owners to interchange. By making catalytic converter theft a felony offense and making certain every converter will be simply tracked, our laws would offer legislation enforcement officers with the instruments and sources they should crack down on these crimes.”

“The theft of catalytic converters hurts the pocketbooks of working households and small enterprise house owners already scuffling with rising prices,” mentioned Wyden. “By strengthening native legislation enforcement’s capability to find stolen automotive elements, we can be one step nearer within the combat to finish catalytic converter theft.”

Catalytic converters are used to scale back the efficiency of poisonous emissions from an inside combustion engine and required for automobile compliance with the Clear Air Act. In keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts rose by over 325% from 2019 to 2020. Changing these elements imposes vital monetary prices to automobile house owners – usually between $500 to $2,300 and may even end in a complete loss to the automobile.

The PART Act would:

• Require new autos to have a Car Identification quantity (VIN) stamped onto the converter to permit legislation enforcement officers to hyperlink stolen elements to the automobile from which they originate.
• Create a grant program via which entities can stamp VIN numbers onto catalytic converters of present autos.
• Enhance file maintaining requirements for purchasers of used catalytic converters.
• Set up enforceability of legal guidelines round catalytic converter theft by codifying these crimes as a felony offense.

The invoice has acquired the endorsement of the Nationwide Car Sellers Affiliation (NADA), the American Truck Sellers (ATD), the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Automotive Recyclers Affiliation (ARA), the Nationwide Automated Merchandising Affiliation (NAMA), the Nationwide Unbiased Car Sellers Affiliation (NIADA), the American Automobile Rental Affiliation (ACRA), the NAFA Fleet Administration Affiliation, the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau (NICB), the Nationwide RV Sellers Affiliation (RVDA), the Nationwide Salvage Car Reporting Program (NSVRP), NTEA — The Affiliation for the Work Truck Business, the Nationwide Customers League (NCL), the Nationwide Non-public Truck Council, and the Truck Renting and Leasing Affiliation (TRALA).

Consultant Jim Baird (R-Ind.) leads companion laws within the Home of Representatives.

“Catalytic converter theft is uncontrolled nationwide,” mentioned Mike Stanton, NADA’s president and CEO. “As a result of converters at the moment can’t be traced and legal guidelines are completely different from state to state, criminals see catalytic converter theft as simple cash. It is a big difficulty for dealerships and customers alike. We thank Senators Klobuchar and Wyden for his or her management on the PART Act, which can present vital instruments for legislation enforcement to assist stem the skyrocketing rise of catalytic converter theft.”

“Fleet managers are reporting that their firms and authorities businesses are incurring substantial monetary prices and lack of automobile productiveness on account of the theft of catalytic converters,” mentioned Invoice Schankel, CEO of NAFA Fleet Administration Affiliation. “We thank Senators Klobuchar and Wyden for sponsoring this laws which can maintain fleet autos on the highway and out of the restore store.”

“The nation’s automotive rental firms applaud Senator Klobuchar’s and Senator Wyden’s management on the vital difficulty of uniform requirements to mark catalytic converters and create a clear secondary market to discourage theft,” mentioned Sharky Laguana, president of the American Automobile Rental Affiliation (ACRA) and CEO of Bandago of San Francisco. “Nearly each automotive rental firm within the nation has been victimized by thefts of catalytic converters – thefts that drive up working prices dramatically – and ACRA urges the Senate to think about this laws as quickly as doable.”

“TRALA has been engaged on the prevention of catalytic converter theft in lots of states throughout the nation to fight this rising drawback in our trade,” mentioned Jake Jacoby, president and CEO of the Truck Renting and Leasing Affiliation (TRALA). “TRALA welcomes Senators Klobuchar’s and Wyden’s efforts to determine a federal framework for theft prevention. We look ahead to working with Senators Klobuchar and Wyden in transferring this vital laws to the president’s desk and into legislation.”

Initially posted on Automotive Fleet