Klobuchar, Wyden introduce legislation to combat catalytic converter theft

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Ron Wyden have introduced the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act to combat the rise in catalytic converter theft.

The legislation ensures law enforcement can more effectively address these thefts by marking each converter with a traceable identification number and would establish catalytic converter theft as a criminal offense.

“Throughout the country, we’ve seen an alarming increase in catalytic converter theft,” Klobuchar says in a statement. “These converters can be easily taken from unattended cars but are difficult to and expensive for car owners to replace.”

She continues, “By making catalytic converter theft a criminal offense and ensuring each converter can be easily tracked, our legislation would provide law enforcement officers with the tools and resources they need to crack down on these crimes.”

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), catalytic converter theft rose by more than 325 percent from 2019 to 2020, and earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced a nationwide takedown of network of converter thefts, dealers and processors. The arrests, searches and seizures happened coast to coast, including in California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina and Virginia. In total, 21 individuals in five states have been charged for their roles in the scheme.

The PART Act would:

• require new vehicles to have a vehicle identification number (VIN) stamped onto the converter to allow law enforcement officers to link stolen parts to the vehicle which they originate;
• create a grant program through which entities can stamp VIN numbers onto catalytic converters of existing vehicles;
• improve record-keeping standards for purchasers of used catalytic converters; and
• establish enforceability of laws around catalytic converter theft by codifying these crimes as a criminal offense.

Klobuchar’s office says the bill has been endorsed by numerous industry organizations, including the National Automobile Dealers Association, American Truck Dealers, American Trucking Associations, Automotive Recyclers Association, NICB and the National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program.

Rep. Jim Baird of Indiana is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

“Dealers across Minnesota thank Sen. Klobuchar for introducing this common-sense bill to curb catalytic converter theft,” says Scott Lambert, president of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association. “The PART Act will give teeth to law enforcement by making converters traceable to their original vehicle and establishing federal criminal penalties for theft.”