Criminal Offenses Related to Critical Infrastructure Metals

The bill defines critical infrastructure related to commodity metals and adds several different criminal offenses related to the sale of, possession of, and failure to report stolen critical infrastructure.

The bill prohibits an owner, keeper, or proprietor (owner) of a junk shop, junk store, salvage yard, or junk cart or other vehicle and every collector of or dealer in junk, salvage, or other secondhand property who buys a commodity metal that was part of critical infrastructure (buyer) from paying cash for the commodity metal unless the seller is paid by means of any process in which a picture of the seller is taken.

The bill prohibits a buyer from possessing a commodity metal that was part of critical infrastructure without a certification from the seller or donator of the commodity metal. A buyer who unknowingly takes possession of commodity metals from critical infrastructure as part of a load of otherwise non-commodity metals without a written certification has a duty to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency or municipal code enforcement agency.

An owner of a junk shop, junk store, salvage yard, or junk cart must make their book or register available to a law enforcement agency or municipal code enforcement agency upon request.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)