Organized metal theft.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify which metals are covered under the law beyond mentioning copper, iron, or brass.

Stopping Organized Metal Theft

AB-1941 makes it illegal to steal metal materials as part of an organized plan and requires local agencies to share information about these thefts with the Department of Justice.

What This Bill Does

• Makes it a crime for people to work together to steal metal items like copper, iron, or brass from places such as railroads or utility companies.
• Punishes those who buy stolen metals knowing they are stolen and those who help organize thefts by recruiting others.
• Requires local law enforcement agencies to share information about metal theft with the Department of Justice.

Who It Names or Affects

• People involved in stealing or buying stolen metals
• Local law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

Organized metal theft

Stealing metal materials as part of a plan with others, including selling, exchanging, or returning stolen metals for money.

Due diligence

Making reasonable efforts to ensure that someone has the right to sell an item before buying it.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how local agencies will be reimbursed if they incur costs from following these rules.
• It is unclear exactly which metals and items are covered under this law.

Official Summary Text

AB 1941, as amended, Mark González.
Organized metal theft.
Existing law makes a person who is a dealer in or collector of junk, metals, or secondhand materials, or their agent, employee, or representative, who buys or receives any wire, cable, copper, lead, solder, mercury, iron, or brass that the person knows or reasonably should know is used by or belongs to specified entities, including a railroad, certain utility companies, or a public entity engaged in furnishing public utility service, without using due diligence to ascertain that the person selling or delivering that material has a legal right to do so, guilty of criminally receiving that property and, in addition to imprisonment, makes that act punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000.
This bill would prohibit organized metal theft, described as acting in concert with one or more persons to steal metal materials from one or more of specified
materials and
items,
items with the intent to sell, exchange, or return those metal materials for value,
acting in concert with 2 or more persons to receive, purchase, or possess those metal materials knowing or believing it to have been stolen, acting as an agent of another to steal those metal materials as part of an organized plan to commit theft, or recruiting, coordinating, organizing, supervising, directing, managing, or financing another to undertake acts of theft of metal. The bill would make a violation of organized metal theft punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The bill would make related findings and declarations and state the intent of the Legislature. By creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law encourages
local law enforcement agencies to report thefts of commodity metals that have occurred within their jurisdiction to a specified privately maintained theft alert system to ensure that persons using the system receive timely and thorough information regarding metal thefts.
This bill would authorize local law enforcement agencies, public agencies, and private entities to provide information about theft of commodity metals to the Department of Justice and would require the department to make this information available to such local law enforcement agencies, public agencies, and private entities.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act
for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF