Metal theft.

Assembly Member Mark González's metal theft prevention legislation expands oversight of junk dealers and recyclers while establishing new criminal penalties for organized metal theft operations. The bill requires more detailed transaction records, including time stamps, payment amounts, and employee identification, along with enhanced documentation of seller information such as legal names, birth dates, and residential addresses.

The legislation broadens restrictions on materials requiring certification of legal ownership before purchase, adding street lights, traffic signals, and related infrastructure components to existing protections for items like fire hydrants and manhole covers. Maximum fines increase from $3,000 to $5,000 for dealers who possess these materials without proper documentation from the public agencies or utilities that owned them.

A new organized metal theft statute targets coordinated criminal enterprises, defining violations as acting in concert with others to steal, receive, or traffic in protected metals. The law establishes both misdemeanor and felony penalties based on factors like theft frequency and total value of materials involved. Prosecutors may consider evidence such as prior coordinated thefts, possession of specialized removal tools, and quantities exceeding personal use when proving organized activity.

The measure maintains existing requirements for junk dealers to verify sellers' legal right to materials through identification checks and signed transfer documents. Records must be preserved for law enforcement review, with violations remaining punishable as misdemeanors. Local agencies bear implementation costs as a state-mandated program, though no state reimbursement is required under specified constitutional provisions.