Car owners would see new rules and programs to help prevent catalytic converter theft.
This bill aims to make it harder to steal and sell catalytic converters. It would require new cars to have these parts marked and set up a grant program to help mark older vehicles. It would also create new federal crimes for stealing or trafficking these parts and make it tougher for thieves to sell them.
Currently, there are no federal requirements for marking catalytic converters on new vehicles, and no federal grant program to help mark existing ones. Businesses that buy used catalytic converters do not have specific federal record-keeping requirements for sellers, and there are no federal laws explicitly prohibiting the sale of converters with removed markings or mandating traceable payments. Federal criminal statutes do not specifically address catalytic converter theft or trafficking as distinct offenses, nor do they explicitly include precious metal extraction in the definition of a "chop shop." If this bill becomes law, new motor vehicles would be required to have marked catalytic converters, and a $7 million grant program would be created to help mark existing vehicles. Businesses dealing with precious metal car parts would need to keep detailed records of sellers and use only traceable payments. It would become illegal to sell or buy catalytic converters with tampered markings or to use cash or cryptocurrency for these transactions. New federal criminal penalties would be established for stealing or trafficking stolen catalytic converters, with sentences up to 5 years in prison. The federal definition of a "chop shop" would also be expanded to include facilities that extract precious metals from stolen vehicle parts.
HR 5221 · 119th Congress · September 9, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 8/10
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44 filings mentioned this bill
Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.