Legislation is in the process, and it calls for catalytic converters for new cars to have VINs imprinted on them, for resellers to keep better records, and for the penalty for theft to be raised. Check out what your state is doing.
Plans were revealed as record numbers of migrants crossed the southern border, including a startling 239,416 contacts in May.
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- In the United States, almost 50,000 catalytic converters were stolen from parked cars last year, a sharp rise from 2020 (about 14,500) and 2019. (3400)
- More than 150 pieces of legislation are being monitored by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) that have either been passed into law or are presently being considered in state legislatures all around the nation
- A federal bill, the bipartisan Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act, or PART Act, is also working its way through Congress.
State governments around the nation are working to address the rising rate of catalytic converter thefts. The replies frequently revolve on changing the legal definition of a converter's status—for instance, adding converters to Indiana's list of "key component parts"—or imposing more restrictions on those who might be buying or selling converters. The response to such a straightforward theft is undoubtedly disjointed, but national legislators in Washington, D.C., are also discussing potential answers.
In the United States, over 3,400 catalytic converters were stolen from vehicles in 2019, but in 2020, that figure increased by a factor of four to nearly 14,500. According to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, more than 50,000 converters were stolen in 2021. (NICB). As we recently observed, the most frequent targets for catalytic theft were converters from the well-known Ford F-series trucks and Honda Accord automobiles.
According to NICB President and CEO David Glawe, the price to replace them has increased in recent years from $1,000 to roughly $3,000. This has led to a rise in the number of stolen converters.
He declared, "Crime is a business, and business is booming in this area. "Money is to be made in abundance. And there isn't much of a deterrent."
One Solution: Place the VIN on It
If you analyze all the relevant legislation that is being considered for 2022 and is included in the NCIB database, that may be about to change. A bipartisan bill is now being discussed in Congress in addition to the 152 different state bills that NCIB is monitoring on its website. The Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act is a proposal that would codify the federal punishments for converter theft. Additionally, it would establish some federal regulations for the tracking of catalytic converters in new cars by stamping VINs on them. The law would also mandate the keeping of transaction records by those who purchase and sell converters.
Only 26 of the 152 items of state law have been put into effect. The majority of the remaining items are in the early "introduced or pre-filed" category, however some are currently the subject of significant committee discussion. Connecticut and Mississippi are two states that have passed legislation to prevent the theft of converters.
Vehicle recyclers must now keep written records of all transactions involving converters, and it is now unlawful for them to purchase a converter that is not attached to a vehicle in Connecticut. The new Mississippi legislation boosts punishment for anyone caught stealing a converter and mandates that dealers show their personal identification and the vehicle's VIN in order to sell the converter. Additionally, buyers must pay by check.
Hawaii (16), Minnesota (14) and California (11) are the three states that have the most converter theft bills on their legislative agendas. Many of the remaining people are debating between one and half a dozen. The NICB reports that 13 states are not considering any kind of legislation to address thefts of catalytic converters. Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming are the states in question.
