If the bill passes, the idea would be to use a $7 million grant program to cover the cost of stamping VINS or other identifiers onto existing vehicles’ catalytic converters. The vehicle owner wouldn’t have to pay anything for this to be done. Dealers would also be able to use the grant program. Ideally, the grant takes care of the vehicles already on the road. The bill would also require new vehicles to stamp unique, traceable numbers on catalytic converters when vehicles are built to identify an individual converter. Purchasers would have to keep records of these numbers. Catalytic converter theft, sale, trafficking or purchase (if the buyer knows the converter was stolen) would be a federal crime. Someone convicted under this law could spend up to five years in jail. In May 2022, 14 trade associations, other industry organizations and NADA asked Congress to take up H.R. 6394 and get it moving. The signers specifically asked Congress to send it to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for a hearing. If you have dealt with catalytic converter theft, you know how important this issue is. Now is the time to reach out to your representative and ask them to support H.R. 6394. It wouldn’t hurt to communicate with committee members, too. The chair is New Jersey’s Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., and the ranking member is Washington’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers. For a full list of committee members, visit https://energycommerce.house.gov/ subcommittees/energy-and-commerce-117th-congress. We can help Congress and, later, the Senate understand how important this issue is, but we will only be successful if we put in the effort. ► On-Site & Off-Site Title Clerk Staffing Same or Next Day Turnaround Reduce Title Clerk Costs Full Time Coverage | No Down Time Reduce Late reas Tanya Vartanian ISSUE 1., 2022 23
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