HB1873 – Prohibits scrap metal dealers from buying a catalytic converter from anyone but a business or the owner of the vehicle from which it came; strengthens current law against removing markings from metal property.
Prime Sponsor – Representative Klippert (R; 8th District; Kennewick) (Co-Sponsors Gilday, Jacobsen, Corry, Robertson, and Young – Rs)
Current status – Referred to the House Committee on Public Safety.
Next step would be – Scheduling a hearing.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.
This bill would make a second or subsequent violation of the current law’s prohibitions on removing identifying marks from metal property or entering into a transaction where they’ve been deliberately and conspicuously altered a Class C felony; otherwise; it’s identical to SB5495. HB1815 also addresses converter thefts, by requiring unique marking identification on converters, and creating a task force on the issue. See HB1994 as well.

Summary –
The bill expands the regulations about scrap metal dealers to prohibit them from buying a catalytic converter from anyone but a commercial enterprise or the owner of the vehicle from which it came. (The owner would have to provide the year, make, model, and vehicle identification number for the vehicle.) It adds precious metals to the dealers’ reporting requirements for “private metal property” and “non-ferrous metal property” transactions (though it doesn’t specify that addition each time those others are specified). It requires a five day delay before cash payments can be made for these materials, and requires keeping records of them for at least three years.

It makes it a gross misdemeanor, and a civil infraction subject to a $1,000 fine, for any scrap metal business and for any owner, partner, or employee of one to purchase or receive private metal property
knowing that it’s stolen. It makes a second or subsequent violation of the current law’s prohibitions on removing identifying marks from metal property, or entering into a transaction where they’ve been deliberately and conspicuously altered, a class C felony.