Alvarado on House Bill 4110: 'This bill will protect Texans' from catalytic converter thefts

In Texas and across the country, catalytic converter thefts are rising at an alarming pace. 

In an effort to combat this rise in theft and assist the citizens of Texas, lawmakers in the state have introduced bipartisan legislation. 

While catalytic convert thefts are nothing new, one story in particular brought the issue to increased awareness. A homeless pizza delivery man in Texas was one of the victims of a catalytic converter theft, damaging his ability to earn a living. Isaac Sanchez depended on his car for everything, ABC 13 reported. While Sanchez's loss has been compensated through a GoFundMe set up by the community that has raised over $9,000 so far, the problem of catalytic converter theft continues for millions of Texans. 

Bill 4110 was proposed by State Sen. Carol Alvarado, who is intent on making sure that this problem is solved for Texans.

"What happened to Isaac Sanchez is inexcusable and I’m proud this bill will protect Texans from this crime," Alvarado said on Twitter.

House Bill 4110 would try to combat this problem by increasing regulations on metal recycling. Catalytic converts are mainly a target for thieves because they are easy to remove and can be sold for scrap. The idea with House Bill 4110 is that if there are more strict regulations on the recycling of this metal, it will be more difficult for thieves to enjoy a profit.

The bill will also increase the criminal penalty for those found to be committing crimes relating to crimes against property, recycling and secondhand metal regulations. The bill has been sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval.