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House advances pawnshop amendments expanding required electronic transaction reporting
Summary
SB212 would require pawnshops and secondhand dealers to enter all transactions into the state database regardless of monthly volume; supporters said it will aid stolen-property recovery while some members worried about burden on small shops with limited computer access.
The House considered Senate Bill 212, the annual pawnshop amendments, on March 11 and approved the measure for transmission to the Senate. Representative Lockhart explained the change would require pawnshops and secondhand businesses to enter all transactions into the law-enforcement database rather than exempting dealers with fewer than 50 monthly transactions.
"This would require them to enter those transactions no matter how many they had," Representative Lockhart said, describing the change as a step to help law enforcement track stolen property. He told the chamber that criminals and some businesses were exploiting the 50-transaction threshold as an excuse not to enter data.
Members raised practical concerns. Representative Sigmiller asked whether small mom-and-pop secondhand stores would be able to comply if they lacked computers or training; Lockhart acknowledged those stores may need to purchase equipment and undertake training. Other members, including Representative Selig, said property crime is a significant burden in their districts and supported the bill as a victim-recovery measure.
Representative Lockhart emphasized that consignment and antique stores are exempt from the rule. The bill was placed on the concurrence calendar and returned to the Senate for signature; the transcript records the Senate's action and the House's handling of the bill but does not show a contested final roll-call tally in the excerpt.
