HB 2262 (scrap metal dealers; registration) is set to be heard in the House Commerce Committee next Wednesday, February 6th at 10:00 am. The legislation, sponsored by Representative Tom Forese (R-Dist. 17), amends current law to authorize the creation of an unprecedented theft notification system that will be free to use. It will allow law enforcement personnel to send detailed descriptions of stolen items to recycling operations and other law enforcement agencies within at least a one hundred mile radius of a theft site in real-time.
The website will also allow scrap metal dealers to alert law enforcement personnel when dealers are offered suspicious materials.
Aside from those measures, the legislation also authorizes the creation of a state registration for scrap dealers. The bill stipulates that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House will appoint a joint legislative committee on metal theft that is to be composed of legislators who will review the effectiveness of A.R.S. 13 1820, 28 3511 and that of the statute created once HB 2262 is signed into law.
The committee will also assess how the legislation has deterred crime and impacted the costs related to compliance for industries affected by its implementation. The committee will be required to report its findings to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House by December 1, 2023. Historically, damage caused by metal theft has led to utility service interruptions, the need for costly equipment repairs and is often more expensive to repair than the value of the material being stolen.
Representative Forese cited the value of the bill stating, “Metal theft is a crime that has exceedingly negative economic and social effects. I am proud of the work we have accomplished in the interim which allowed us to bring forward this invaluable legislation that will give Arizona the national lead in combating this crime.”