SB5495 – Prohibits scrap metal dealers from buying a catalytic converter from anyone but a business or the owner of the vehicle from which it came.
Prime Sponsor – Senator Jeff Wilson (R; 19th District; Southwest Washington)
Current status – Had a hearing in Law & Justice January 25th; replaced by a substitute, passed out of committee, and referred to Ways and Means February 3rd. Had a hearing February 5th; replaced by a 2nd substitute and passed out of committee February 7th. Referred to Rules. Sent to the X file February 17th
Next step would be – Dead bill.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.
HB1815 addresses converter thefts, by requiring unique identifying marks on them and creating a task force on the issue; so does HB1873, which is identical to this bill except that it 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. See also HB1994.

Summary –
Substitutes –
The initial substitute would have made unlawful possession and attempting the unlawful sale or purchase of a catalytic converter crimes. It appropriated $4 million to have the State Patrol develop a comprehensive enforcement strategy targeting metal theft, including a grant and training program for local law enforcement and a database on people who attempt to purchase or sell unlawfully obtained metals or attempt to conduct transactions under the influence of controlled substances. It removed a couple of the original’s new regulations on scrap metal businesses.

The 2nd Substitute (which I’m assuming overrides a couple of successful previous amendments to the first substitute in the same session) reduces the appropriation to $2 million; shifts the administration of the law enforcement strategy targeting metal theft and the grant program to the Criminal Justice Training Commission and the responsibility for the database to Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs; and makes a couple of other small changes in the rules about metal transactions.

Original bill –
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.