Five New Copper Theft Bills Signed Into Law
Governors in Georgia, West Virginia, Iowa, Washington and Kentucky have signed copper theft bills into law. The Washington bill was partially vetoed by Gov. Christine Gregoire who objected to the creation of a 24-member task force to study the issue of metal theft and make recommendations to the legislature. Gov. Gregoire did, however, approve the parts of the bill that make it first-degree theft to take metal wire from a utility, including a “consumer-owned utility,” if the resulting property damage is at least $5,000. The new Georgia law prohibits cash payments for these materials, and requires the registration of recyclers and the maintenance of a statewide database. Click here to read more about the content of the newly enacted laws.
