Oregon legislators pass bill to prevent converter thefts

Oregon lawmakers are hoping to crack down on the number of thefts of catalytic converters with a new bill that was sent to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown this month. Oregon Senate Bill 803 prohibits a scrap metal business from purchasing or receiving private metal property unless it meets certain criteria and maintains records.

For example, the legislation prohibits a scrap metal business from purchasing or receiving catalytic converters except from commercial sellers or the owner of the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed. The measure also prohibits a dismantler from acquiring any catalytic converter that has been removed from a vehicle and offered for sale independent of the vehicle. The measure establishes additional recordkeeping requirements for transactions involving catalytic converters.

Breaking the law could mean being fined up to $1,000 under the bill.

According to an overview of the bill, catalytic converters have been installed in almost all gasoline vehicles sold in the United States since 1975. Catalytic converters contain precious metals such as palladium, rhodium and platinum to scrub toxic pollutants from the car’s exhaust. According to the New York Times, the price of palladium is between $2,000 and $2,500 per ounce, and rhodium prices have recently reached a record of $21,900 per ounce.

“This is a serious problem all across the state, so the sooner that this gets signed, the better," Oregon Sen. Chris Gorsek told KATU2 ABC.

Gorsek says it’s unclear when Gov. Brown will sign the bill but that the state’s legislative session ends June 27.