The PART Act would require that all new vehicles have the VIN stamped on their converters, shops would be compensated for stamping used car convertors
Washington, D.C.—The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is calling on members of the auto repair community to educate their federal elected officials on the importance of addressing catalytic converter theft.
ASA has launched a Congressional grassroots advocacy action tool in support of the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act (S. 2238/H.R. 5221). Repairers can quickly send an email to their U.S. Senators and Representative asking them to cosponsor the bill.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau recorded 16,660 converter thefts in 2020. Such thefts skyrocketed to 64,701 in 2022. This number likely fails to account for thousands of additional incidences that went unreported, as is often the case with this crime.
Criminals target these devices — which the Clean Air Act requires on vehicles with internal combustion engines to reduce tailpipe emission toxicity — because they contain valuable materials and are easy to remove. Converter thieves often target auto repair shops due to the high volume of parked vehicles.
Among other key provisions, the PART Act would make it harder for thieves to get away with stealing catalytic converters by requiring that all new vehicles have its vehicle identification number (VIN) stamped on its converter.
Additionally, it would create a grant program that compensates auto repair and service centers — as well as other qualified entities — for stamping VINs on used vehicles’ converters at no cost to the consumer. Law enforcement can more successfully track down stolen converters and their thieves if the VIN is stamped. Funding for the $7 million grant program would come primarily from unallocated funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Additional provisions in the PART Act include increasing record-keeping requirements for catalytic converter purchasers, as well as making the theft, sale, trafficking, or known purchase of a stolen converter a federal crime with a punishment of up to 5 years in prison.
Click here to email your members of Congress to let them know you support the PART Act.
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