The South Carolina House passed a bill that would make buying or selling stolen catalytic converters a separate crime that could result in up to three years in prison.
The 94-0 bill passed on Thursday was prompted by a series of thefts of vehicle emission control systems that can cost thousands of dollars to fix.
Catalytic converters contain several precious metals, including palladium, platinum and rhodium. Unscrupulous scrap businesses pay hundreds of dollars for them.
In the last six months of 2020, Lexington County deputies reported about 150 catalyst thefts, nearly three times the number for the same six months last year.
A thief can saw the converter under a vehicle in minutes, leaving the owner with a repair bill of several thousand dollars, officials said.
The bill now goes to the state Senate.
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