As of August 1, only 8 states remain in regular session for the year, but special sessions, carryover bills, and regulatory changes can still present challenges to recyclers even after a state's legislature has adjourned. ISRI makes it easy to view the bills and regulations amending metals theft requirements and other commodities and issues on our State Resources and Tracking pages.
Legislators in Kansas and Texas have passed several changes to their materials theft laws, but most other states have moved away from the massive rewrites of years past. ISRI's State Metals Theft Law Database and individual state summaries have been updated to reflect these and other changes passed this year:
Enacted Metals Theft Legislation
- KS HB 2248: Various changes to recordkeeping, reporting, and registration provisions, effective 07/01/20. Establishes 07/01/23 as a sunset date for the Act.
- TX HB 4584: amends the phrase ’plastic bulk merchandise container” requirements by referring to them, instead, as "returnable containers" wherever the original phrase appears in the law.
- TX HB 1545: changes references from "beer" to "malt beverage" in various laws, including the definitions for "aluminum material" and "regulated metal" in the metals theft law.
- TX SB 616: various changes to registration, penalties, and other administrative functions for the metals theft law.
- SD HB 1082: $100 cash payment threshold for nonferrous metal property.
- IN SB 471: penalties for damaging a "critical infrastructure facility"; includes changes to the penalties for theft of valuable metal.
- AR SB 365: eliminates the requirement that the operator of the reporting database must report a list of all scrap recyclers in a county that have not filed a daily electronic record of scrap metal purchases.
If you'd like to find out what changes could impact your company, visit
ISRI's State Policy page or contact
Danielle Waterfield if you have any questions about the system or legislation impacting your state. ISRI has also added live legislative and regulatory reports to the
State Resources and Tracking pages to make keeping up-to-date in your state easier.