COLUMBUS – The Ohio House has recently passed House Bill 328, a legislative measure aimed at strengthening law enforcement’s ability to investigate and combat the growing problem of catalytic converter theft, announced State Rep. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield).
House Bill 328 is designed to better protect consumers from catalytic converter theft and establish clearer guidelines for businesses dealing with these parts. Catalytic converters, which can be stolen in about three minutes, are targeted for their precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium, which can be quickly converted to cash.
“We’ve seen social service agencies having their catalytic converters stolen, leaving them unable to serve our most vulnerable constituents,” said Roemer. “This is a finely crafted bill that I’ve worked on for almost four years. House Bill 328 will protect Ohioans.”
The bill introduces several key safeguards to protect both consumers and businesses:
- Recordkeeping Requirements: Scrap metal dealers and other purchasers of used catalytic converters must comply with additional recordkeeping, reporting, and processing requirements.
- Enhanced Penalties for Theft: The bill increases penalties for theft when the stolen item is a catalytic converter.
- Enhanced Penalties for Receiving Stolen Property: The bill also raises penalties for receiving stolen property when the item is a catalytic converter.
House Bill 328 will now move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
