Indiana’s RV association lobbyists from the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association and RV Indiana Council (IMHA-RVIC) celebrated passage of a new bill addressing catalytic converter theft.
IMHA-RVIC identified catalytic converter theft as a growing concern in 2021. The associations worked with state legislators to secure passage of Senate Bill 167, making theft of a component part of a motor vehicle, including a catalytic converter, a level 6, or lowest level, felony.
IMHA-RVIC Executive Director Ron Breymier said the law led to the arrest of some catalytic converter theft rings in Indiana, but the problem persisted. The associations worked with legislators to pass more legislation this year, Senate Bill 293, limiting the cash sale of detached catalytic converters valued at less than $25 per seller to one per day.
The bill passed the state Senate 47-0 and the state House 88-3. After Gov. Eric Holcomb signs the bill into law, the legislation will take effect July 1.
“More restrictions needed to be placed on the sale of catalytic converters to automotive salvage recyclers,” Breymier said.
Breymier said the association worked closely with state Sens. Mike Crider (R-Greenfield) and Blake Doriot (R-Goshen), state Rep. Jim Presell (R-Rolling Prairie) and the office of Secretary of State Holli Sullivan.
Senate Bill 293 requires automotive salvage recyclers to keep all records maintained and readily available to copy by an investigating or auditing employee of the Secretary of State upon demand. An automotive salvage recycler licensed that knowingly or intentionally fails to maintain the records required by this section commits a Class A infraction. The infraction carries a fine of up to $10,000.
