Under the act, no person shall, except when selling, repairing, rebuilding or servicing lawfully licensed vehicles, engage in the buying or selling of catalytic converters, as defined in the act, or the component parts of catalytic converters.

Any purchase or trade-in of detached catalytic converters must contain the following:

- Proof that the seller is a bona fide automobile repair shop or an affidavit that attests the detached catalytic converter was acquired lawfully; and

- The make, model, year, and vehicle identification number of the vehicle from which the detached catalytic converter originated.

Such record of sale shall be maintained in order of transaction date for a minimum of four years, instead of 36 months. The Department of Revenue shall create and make available on its website a standardized form for recording such records of sale.

At least monthly, a purchaser or collector of, or dealer in, junk, scrap metal, or any secondhand property shall submit to the Department such records of sale on the Department's form, with copies of the purchaser's, collector's, or dealer's other records, if any, attached. Electronic and paper submissions are acceptable. The Department may prescribe the format of forms submitted electronically.

Anyone convicted of violating provisions of the act shall be guilty of a Class E felony and shall be subject to having certain business licenses revoked. The act repeals certain provisions relating to purchasing stolen detached catalytic converters.

Provisions of the act shall not apply to certain transactions involving specific types of metal as described in the act.

Under the act, a person commits the offense of stealing when they purposefully deprive the owner of a lawful interest therein, receive, retain, or dispose of a catalytic converter, and know that it has been stolen, believe it has been stolen, or reasonably should suspect that it has been stolen.

A person commits the offense of unlawful possession of a detached catalytic converter if the person possessed a catalytic converter that is detached from a motor vehicle with the intent to sell the catalytic converter unless specific exceptions apply as described in the act. The offense of unlawful possession of a detached catalytic converter is a Class E felony.

The act has a provision identical to HB 555 (2023), substantially similar to provisions in HB 751 (2023), and similar to provisions in HB 1456 (2022).

JULIA SHEVELEVA