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S.B. 90

This document includes Senate Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 2:17 PM by rday. --> This document includes Senate Committee Amendments (CORRECTED) incorporated into the bill on Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 7:29 AM by rday. -->             


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Senate Committee Amendments 2-26-2009 rd/sca
1
    
METAL THEFT AMENDMENTS AND

             2     
PENALTIES

             3     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Jon J. Greiner

             6     
House Sponsor: Brad L. Dee

             7     

             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies the Criminal Code provisions regarding transactions involving
             11      regulated metals.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines wire made of regulated metal as a suspect metal if the wire has been burned;
             15          .    requires that a dealer's purchase of regulated metal that exceeds $100 may not be
             16      paid for in cash; and
             17          .    provides that a defendant is liable for restitution for damages caused during the
             18      course of committing or attempting to commit a theft of regulated metal, and that
             19      the victim may also bring a civil action for damages.
             20      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23           S. [ None ] This bill provides an immediate effective date. .S
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          76-10-901, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 320
             27          76-10-907, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 320



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Senate Committee Amendments 2-26-2009 rd/sca
             28
         76-10-907.3, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 320
             29      ENACTS:
             29a      S.     76-6-402.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953 .S
             30          76-6-412.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             31      S. [     76-10-907.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953 ] .S
             32     

             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             33a      S. Section 1. Section 76-6-402.5 is enacted to read:
             33b          76-6-402.5. Defense regarding metal dealers.
             33c          It is a defense against a charge of theft under this part and a defense against a civil
             33d      claim for conversion if any dealer as defined in Section 76-10-901 has acted in compliance with
             33e      Title 76, Chapter 10, Part 9, Regulation of Metal Dealers. .S
             34          Section S. [ 1 ] 2 .S . Section 76-6-412.5 is enacted to read:
             35          76-6-412.5. Property damage caused in the course of committing a theft.
             36          If a defendant who commits or attempts to commit theft as defined in Section 76-6-404
             37      of regulated metal as defined in Section 76-10-901 and in the course of committing or
             38      attempting to commit the theft causes damage to any person's real or personal property other
             39      than the regulated metal, the defendant is liable for restitution for all costs incurred due to the
             40      damage to the person's property.
             41          Section S. [ 2 ] 3 .S . Section 76-10-901 is amended to read:
             42           76-10-901. Definitions.
             43          As used in this part:
             44          (1) S. "Catalytic converter" means a motor vehicle exhaust system component that
             44a      reduces vehicle emissions by breaking down harmful exhaust emissions.
             44b          (2) .S "Dealer" means any scrap metal processor or secondary metals dealer or recycler,
             45      but does not include junk dealers or solid waste management facilities as defined in Section
             46      19-6-502 .
             47           S. [ (2) ] (3) .S "Ferrous metal" means a metal that contains significant quantities of iron or steel.
             48           S. [ (3) ] (4) .S "Identification" means a form of positive identification issued by a governmental
             49      entity that:
             50          (a) contains a numerical identifier and a photograph of the person identified;
             51          (b) provides the date of birth of the person identified; and
             52          (c) includes a state identification card, a state driver license, a United States military


             53      identification card, or a United States passport.


            
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Senate Committee Amendments 2-26-2009 rd/sca
54
          S. [ (4) ] (5) .S "Junk dealer" means all persons, firms, or corporations engaged in the business of
             55      purchasing or selling secondhand or castoff material, including ropes, cordage, bottles,
             56      bagging, rags, rubber, paper, and other like materials, but not including regulated metal.
             57           S. [ (5) ] (6) .S "Local law enforcement agency" means the law enforcement agency that has
             58      jurisdiction over the area where the dealer's business is located.



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Senate Committee Amendments 2-26-2009 rd/sca
             59
          S. [ (6) ] (7) .S "Nonferrous metal":
             60          (a) means a metal that does not contain significant quantities of iron or steel; and
             61          (b) includes copper, brass, aluminum, bronze, lead, zinc, nickel, and their alloys.
             62           S. [ (7) ] (8) .S (a) "Regulated metal" means any item composed primarily of nonferrous metal,
             63      except as provided in Subsection S. [ (7) ] (8) .S (c).
             64          (b) "Regulated metal" includes:
             65          (i) aluminum, brass, copper, lead, chromium, tin, nickel, or alloys of these metals,
             66      except under Subsection S. [ (7) ] (8) .S (c);
             67          (ii) property owned by, and also identified by marking or other means as the property
             68      of:
             69          (A) a telephone, cable, electric, water, or other utility; or
             70          (B) a railroad company;
             71          (iii) unused and undamaged building construction materials made of metal or alloy,
             72      including:
             73          (A) copper pipe, tubing, or wiring; and
             74          (B) aluminum wire, siding, downspouts, or gutters;
             75          (iv) oil well rigs, including any part of the rig;
             76          (v) nonferrous materials, stainless steel, and nickel; and
             77          (vi) irrigation pipe.
             78          (c) "Regulated metal" does not include:
             79          (i) ferrous metal, except as provided in Subsection S. [ (7) ] (8) .S (b)(ii) or (iv);
             80          (ii) household-generated recyclable materials;
             81          (iii) items composed wholly of tin;
             82          (iv) aluminum beverage containers; or
             83          (v) containers used solely for containing food.
             84          (8) "Secondary metals dealer or recycler" means any person who:
             85          (a) is engaged in the business of purchasing, collecting, or soliciting regulated metal; or
             86          (b) operates or maintains a facility where regulated metal is purchased or kept for
             87      shipment, sale, transfer, or salvage.
             88          (9) "Scrap metal processor" means any person:
             89          (a) who, from a fixed location, utilizes machinery and equipment for processing and



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Corrected Senate Committee Amendments 3-12-2009 rd/

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Senate Committee Amendments 2-26-2009 rd/sca
             90
     manufacturing iron, steel, or nonferrous scrap into prepared grades[,]; and
             91          (b) whose principal product is scrap iron, scrap steel, or nonferrous metallic scrap, not
             92      including precious metals, for sale for remelting purposes.
             93          (10) "Suspect metal items" are the following items made of regulated metal:
             94          (a) manhole covers and sewer grates;
             95          (b) gas meters and water meters;
             96          (c) traffic signs, street signs, aluminum street light poles, communications transmission
             97      towers, and guard rails;
             98          (d) grave site monument vases and monument plaques;
             99          (e) any monument plaque;
             100          (f) brass or bronze bar stock and bar ends;
             101          (g) ingots;
             102          (h) nickel and nickel alloys containing greater than 50% nickel; [and]
             103          (i) #1 and #2 copper as defined by the most recent institute of Scrap Recycling
             104      Industries, Inc., Scrap Specifications Circular [and];
             105          (j) unused and undamaged building materials, including:
             106          (i) greenline copper;
             107          (ii) copper pipe, tubing, or wiring; [or] and
             108          (iii) aluminum wire, siding, downspouts, or gutters[.]; S. [ and ]
             108a          (k) catalytic converters; and
             109           [ (k) ] (l) .S wire that has been burned or that has the appearance of having been burned.
             110          Section 3. Section 76-10-907 is amended to read:
             111           76-10-907. Records of sales and purchases -- Identification required.
             112          (1) Every dealer shall:
             113          (a) require the information under Subsection (2) for each transaction of regulated
             114      metal, except under Subsection 76-10-907.3 (4); and
             115          (b) maintain for each purchase of regulated metal the information required by this part
             116      in a written or electronic log, in the English language.
             117          (2) The dealer shall require the following information of the seller and shall record the
             118      information as required under Subsection (1) for each purchase of regulated metal:
             119          (a) a complete description of the regulated metal, including weight and metallic
             120      description, in accordance with scrap metal recycling industry standards;



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             121
         (b) the full name and residence of each person selling the regulated metal;
             122          (c) the vehicle type and license plate number, if applicable, of the vehicle transporting
             123      the regulated metal to the dealer;
             124          (d) the price per pound and the amount paid for each type of regulated metal purchased
             125      by the dealer;
             126          (e) the date, time, and place of the purchase;
             127          (f) the type and number of the identification provided in Subsection (2)(g);
             128          (g) at least one form of identification;
             129          (h) the seller's signature on a certificate stating that he has the legal right to sell the
             130      scrap metal or junk; and
             131          (i) a digital photograph or still video of the seller, taken at the time of the sale, or a
             132      clearly legible photocopy of the seller's identification.
             133          (3) No entry in the log may be erased, deleted, mutilated, or changed.
             134          (4) The log and entries shall be open to inspection by the following officials having
             135      jurisdiction over the area in which the dealer does business during regular business hours:
             136          (a) the county sheriff or deputies;
             137          (b) any law enforcement agency; and
             138          (c) any constable or other state, municipal, or county official in the county in which
             139      the dealer does business.
             140          (5) A dealer shall make these records available for inspection by any law enforcement
             141      agency, upon request, at the dealer's place of business during the dealer's regular business
             142      hours.
             143          (6) Log entries made under this section shall be maintained for not less than one year
             144      from date of entry.
             145          (7) The dealer may maintain the information required by Subsection (2) [may be
             146      maintained] for repeat sellers who use the same vehicle to bring regulated metal for each
             147      transaction in a relational database that allows the dealer to enter an initial record of the seller's
             148      information and then relate subsequent transaction records to that initial information.
             149          (8) This section does not apply to a single purchase of regulated metal by a dealer if:
             150          (a) the weight of regulated metal is less than 50 pounds; and
             151          (b) the price paid to the seller is less than $100.



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             152
         Section 4. Section 76-10-907.3 is amended to read:
             153           76-10-907.3. Restrictions on the purchase of regulated metal -- Exemption.
             154          (1) A dealer may conduct purchase transactions involving regulated metal only
             155      between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
             156          (2) Except when the dealer pays a government entity by check for regulated metal, the
             157      dealer may not purchase any of the following regulated metal without obtaining and keeping on
             158      file reasonable documentation that the seller is an employee, agent, or contractor of a
             159      governmental entity who is authorized to sell the item of regulated metal property on behalf of
             160      the governmental entity:
             161          (a) a manhole cover or sewer grate;
             162          (b) an electric light pole; or
             163          (c) a guard rail.
             164          (3) (a) A dealer may not purchase suspect metal without obtaining the information
             165      under Subsection (3)(b) identifying the owner of the suspect metal.
             166          (b) The owner of the suspect metal shall provide in writing:
             167          (i) [his] the owner's telephone number;
             168          (ii) [his] the owner's business or residential address, which may not be a post box;
             169          (iii) a copy of [his] the owner's driver license; and
             170          (iv) a signed statement that [he] the person is the lawful owner of the suspect metal and
             171      [that he] authorizes the seller, [whom he has] identified by name, to sell the suspect metal.
             172          (c) The dealer shall keep the identifying information provided in Subsection (3)(b) on
             173      file for not less than one year.
             174          (4) Transactions with businesses that have an established account with the dealer are
             175      exempt from the requirements of Subsections (2) and (3) if the business holds a valid business
             176      license, and:
             177          (a) (i) the dealer has on file a statement from the business identifying those employees
             178      authorized to sell all metals to the dealer; and
             179          (ii) the dealer conducts regulated metal transactions only with those identified
             180      employees of the business and records the name of the employee when recording the
             181      transaction;
             182          (b) the dealer has on file reasonable documentation from the business that any person



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             183
     verified as representing the business as an employee, and whom the dealer has verified is an
             184      employee, may sell regulated metal; or
             185          (c) the dealer makes payment for regulated metal purchased from a person by issuing a
             186      check to the business employing the seller.
             187           S. [ Section 5. Section 76-10-907.5 is enacted to read:
             188          76-10-907.5. Transactions over $100 may not be in cash.
             189          A dealer making a purchase of more than $100 worth of regulated metal in a single
             190      transaction shall pay for the metal by check or money order, and may not pay by cash.
]
             190a      Section 5. Effective date.
             190b          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect upon
             190c      approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution Article
             190d      VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto, the date of veto override. .S





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