The House nearly unanimously passed HB 2153 ahead of the 5 pm cutoff deadline on February 13. It now awaits scheduling in the Senate Law & Justice Committee.

Washingtonians may soon see new felony and gross misdemeanor charges for trafficking in, possessing, selling, or offering to sell catalytic converters

February 9, 2024

HB 2153 continues to move through the House of Representatives ahead of the February 13 house of origin cutoff. The bill, addressing catalytic converter theft, was voted out of the House Transportation committee and awaits a floor vote.

The House amended many of the marking requirements from the original bill – including allowing dealers to write an identifying mark in permanent marker rather than requiring that it be etched, removes what would have been a new authority for law enforcement to immediately seize unmarked catalytic converts, and allows a dealer to add a fee to the sale price for marking a catalytic converter.

The amendment notably adds a 12-month sentencing enhancement when the crime of trafficking in catalytic converters in the first degree is committed for the purpose of selling, transferring, or exchanging them online.

Catalytic converter theft bill moving through legislature

February 2, 2024

Legislators are looking at ways to curb the theft of catalytic converters in Washington. HB 2153, sponsored by Rep. Cindy Ryu (D–Shoreline), modifies the regulation of catalytic converter transactions to require a scrap processor or vehicle wrecker license instead of a scrap metal license. The bill also establishes new felony and gross misdemeanor crimes for Trafficking in, Possessing, Selling, or Offering to Sell Catalytic Converters, or intentionally altering or obliterating the vehicle identification number on a detached catalytic converter.