A California bill aims to curb illicit copper wire sales amid a surge in thefts that have blacked out streetlights in Boyle Heights and other parts of Los Angeles.
A state Assembly committee on Tuesday endorsed the bill, known as Assembly Bill 476 , on a unanimous 18-0 vote. The bill was referred to the Assembly Public Safety Committee with a hearing scheduled for April 29.
This piece of legislation — introduced by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez — seeks to crack down on copper wire theft by enhancing reporting requirements for junk dealers and recyclers, establishing a licensing requirement for copper sellers, modernizing restrictions on the possession of scrap metal from critical public infrastructure and revising penalties to better reflect the true cost to the public…