Committee hears bill to raise civil penalties for scrap dealers who handle stolen telecom copper

House Bill 1453 was the subject of a staff briefing and public testimony Wednesday, as lawmakers considered new civil penalties for scrap metal businesses that purchase stolen copper used in telecommunication cable.

The bill would make a first violation subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000, a second violation up to $20,000, and a third violation could lead to loss of licensure for the scrap metal business, staff told the panel. The bill focuses specifically on copper used in telecommunication cable and does not extend those new penalties to fiber or other materials, the staff briefing said.

Committee staff member Megan Mulvihill said current law already requires scrap yards to be licensed, to keep transaction records, to cooperate with law enforcement and to check sellers against the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs No Buy database. Mulvihill summarized the bill’s change this way: "House Bill 1453 establishes new civil penalties for scrap metal businesses that…