Copper Theft Bill Advances to Governor

Legislation to tackle copper theft in Oklahoma passed the
Oklahoma House of Representatives today and now goes to Gov. Brad Henry for his signature.

Senate Bill 1856, authored by state Rep. Guy Liebmann and state Sen. Cliff Branan (R-Oklahoma City) increases fines and punishments for the crime of copper theft and requires more stringent record keeping from scrap metal and junk dealers.

"Oklahoma has been plagued with a copper theft problem and many people have found themselves without working air conditioners because of it," said Liebmann, R-Oklahoma City. "This measure will not only provide our law enforcement the tools to track down thieves but also put in place stricter reporting to hopefully deter people from committing copper theft."

The bill requires that scrap metal dealers keep records of information obtained from sellers, including a photo copy of the seller's driver's license and vehicle tag number. The measure also clarifies penalties regarding failure to keep records required by law.

"When vandalizing copper, many useful devices are effectively destroyed,
which can cause safety hazards. Non-working railroad signals, car problems and telephone equipment failure are all results of copper theft," said Liebmann. "I hope the governor will quickly sign this measure so we can put a stop to this problem as soon as possible."