May 28, 2023
On May 25, 2023, a coalition of 21 organizations representing a cross section of industry and interested stakeholders — including the American Rental Association (ARA) — submitted a letter to the committees with jurisdiction over the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act, encouraging its passage.
The PART Act would assist law enforcement in combating rising catalytic converter theft by providing a national framework that would mark catalytic converters with an identifying mark traceable to the Vehicle Registration Number (VIN), establish federal criminal penalties and create a more transparent market that deters theft.
You can read the letter and view organizations supporting the Act here.
Businesses that maintain a fleet of vehicles — like those in the equipment and event rental industry — have seen catalytic converter thefts skyrocket in recent years. For instance, a rash of such thefts hit rental businesses in the Northeast recently.
“A catalytic converter theft hit our company; 10 of our trucks went down,” says Elijah Wilper, vice president of operations, Taylor Rental Center, Manchester, Conn. “According to the police department, a black Ford Explorer hit a few places in the space of a couple of days in Manchester, Middletown and Plainville.”
The PART Act has received bipartisan sponsorship in the U.S. Senate (S.154), as has companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 621). Those interested in advancing the PART Act can reach out to your member of Congress to encourage their support:
You can find talking points for support of the PART Act here.
You can find contact information for your elected official under the “Your Elected Officials” tab here.
