Committee hears proposals to curb catalytic converter theft and support VIN‑stamping efforts

Members of the subcommittee flagged catalytic converter theft as an urgent consumer problem and discussed the Part Act, which would make resale of stolen catalytic converters harder and provide tools to reduce theft incentives.

Representative Cain cited insurer data, noting that State Farm recorded over 20,000 catalytic converter claims in 2023, and said his district has been hard hit. Bill Hamby of the Auto Care Association said the association has run seminars and is willing to work with the committee on VIN‑stamping procedures, but told members ‘‘we are not, quite ready for that’’ without additional rules and implementation funding.

Lawmakers said they wanted to move quickly on practical measures to limit resale channels and speed replacement parts availability to reduce vehicle downtime for affected drivers. The hearing did not result in a vote; members asked for technical follow‑up and implementation plans from stakeholders.