81R31374 E
By: Phillips, Driver, Truitt, Bolton H.B. No. 4524
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4524:
By: Hancock C.S.H.B. No. 4524
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the regulation of metal recycling entities; providing
penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 1956.001(10), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(10) "Regulated metal" means:
(A) manhole covers;
(B) guardrails;
(C) metal cylinders designed to contain
compressed air, oxygen, gases, or liquids;
(D) beer kegs made from metal other than
aluminum;
(E) historical markers or cemetery vases,
receptacles, or memorials made from metal other than aluminum;
(F) unused rebar;
(G) street signs;
(H) drain gates;
(I) safes;
(J) communication, transmission, and service
wire or cable;
(K) condensing or evaporator coils, tubing, or
rods for central heating or air conditioning units;
(L) utility structures, including the fixtures
and hardware;
(M) aluminum or stainless steel containers
designed to hold propane for fueling forklifts; [and]
(N) metal railroad equipment, including tie
plates, signal houses, control boxes, signs, signals, traffic
devices, traffic control devices, traffic control signals, switch
plates, e-clips, and rail tie functions;
(O) catalytic converters not attached to a
vehicle;
(P) fire hydrants;
(Q) metal bleachers or other seating facilities
used in recreational areas or sporting arenas;
(R) any metal item clearly and conspicuously
marked with any form of the name, initials, or logo of a
governmental entity, utility, cemetery, or railroad;
(S) insulated utility, communications, or
electrical wire that has been burned in whole or in part to remove
the insulation;
(T) backflow valves; and
(U) metal in the form of commonly recognized
products of the industrial metals recycling process, including
bales, briquettes, billets, sows, ingots, pucks, and chopped or
shredded metals.
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 1956.003, Occupations
Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 1956.003. LOCAL LAW; CRIMINAL PENALTY.
SECTION 3. Section 1956.003, Occupations Code, is amended
by adding Subsections (a-1), (f), (g), and (h) to read as follows:
(a-1) A county, municipality, or political subdivision may
require the record of purchase described under Section 1956.033 to
contain a clear and legible thumbprint of a seller of regulated
material.
(f) A county, municipality, or political subdivision that
issues a license or permit authorized under Subsection (b) shall
issue a notice to an owner or operator of a metal recycling entity
operating without the license or permit informing the owner or
operator that the entity is operating without the required license
or permit and that the owner or operator may be subject to criminal
penalties if the owner or operator does not submit an application
for the appropriate license or permit before the 15th day after the
date the notice is received.
(g) A person commits an offense if the person owns or
operates a metal recycling entity and does not submit an
application for the appropriate license or permit before the 15th
day after the date of receiving a notice under Subsection (f).
(h) An offense under Subsection (g) is a Class A misdemeanor
unless it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has
been previously convicted under Subsection (g), in which event the
offense is a state jail felony.
SECTION 4. Section 1956.015(d), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) Information provided under this section is not subject
to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. Except as
provided by Subsection (b), the [The] department shall:
(1) maintain the confidentiality of information
provided under this section; and
(2) require that any contractor, subcontractor, or
third party that has access to, comes into possession of, or
otherwise obtains information provided under this section shall
maintain the confidentiality of the information provided under this
section [that relates to the financial condition or business
affairs of a metal recycling entity or that is otherwise
commercially sensitive. The confidential information is not
subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code].
SECTION 5. Subchapter A-1, Chapter 1956, Occupations Code,
is amended by adding Section 1956.016 to read as follows:
Sec. 1956.016. REGISTRATION DATABASE. The department shall
make available on its Internet website a publicly accessible list
of all registered metal recycling entities.
SECTION 6. Section 1956.032, Occupations Code, is amended
by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (f), a person
attempting to sell regulated material to a metal recycling entity
shall:
(1) display to the metal recycling entity the person's
personal identification document;
(2) provide to the metal recycling entity the make,
model, and license plate number of the motor vehicle used to
transport the regulated material and the name of the state issuing
the license plate; and
(3) either:
(A) present written documentation evidencing
that the person is the legal owner or is lawfully entitled to sell
the regulated material; or
(B) sign a written statement provided by the
metal recycling entity that the person is the legal owner of or is
lawfully entitled to sell the regulated material offered for sale.
(g) Notwithstanding Section 1956.002, a person attempting
to sell regulated material who represents that they are a metal
recycling entity shall provide a copy of the certificate of
registration issued under Section 1956.022 in addition to the
information required under Subsection (a).
SECTION 7. Section 1956.033(b), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The record must be in English and include:
(1) the place and date of the purchase;
(2) the name and address of each individual from whom
the regulated material is purchased or obtained;
(3) the identifying number of the seller's personal
identification document;
(4) a description made in accordance with the custom
of the trade of the type and quantity of regulated material
purchased; and
(5) the information required by Sections
1956.032(a)(2) and (3) [Section 1956.032(a)(3)].
SECTION 8. Section 1956.034, Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 1956.034. PRESERVATION OF RECORDS. A metal recycling
entity shall preserve each record required by Sections 1956.032 and
1956.033 until the third anniversary of the date the record was
made. The records must be kept in an easily retrievable format.
SECTION 9. Section 1956.036, Occupations Code, is amended
by amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to
read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsections [Subsection] (b) and
(d), not later than 48 hours [the seventh day] after the [date of
the] purchase or other acquisition of material for which a record is
required under Section 1956.033, a metal recycling entity shall
send an electronic transaction report to the department via the
department's Internet website. The [by facsimile or electronic
mail to or file with the department a] report must contain
[containing] the information required to be recorded under Section
1956.033 [that section].
(b) If a metal recycling entity purchases bronze material
that is a cemetery vase, receptacle, memorial, or statuary or a pipe
that can reasonably be identified as aluminum irrigation pipe, the
entity shall:
(1) not later than the close of business on the
entity's first working day after the purchase date, notify the
department by telephone; and
(2) not later than 48 hours [the fifth day] after the
purchase [date], submit to the department electronically via the
department's Internet website [mail to] or file with the department
a report containing the information required to be recorded under
Section 1956.033.
(d) A metal recycling entity may submit the transaction
report required under Subsection (a) by facsimile if:
(1) the entity submits to the department annually:
(A) an application requesting an exception to the
electronic reporting requirement; and
(B) an affidavit stating that the entity does not
have an available and reliable means of submitting the transaction
report electronically; and
(2) the department approves the entity's application
under this subsection.
SECTION 10. Section 1956.037(a), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A metal recycling entity may not dispose of, process,
sell, or remove from the premises an item of regulated metal unless:
(1) the entity acquired the item more than five days
[72 hours], excluding weekends and holidays, before the disposal,
processing, sale, or removal; [or]
(2) the entity purchased the item from a
manufacturing, industrial, commercial, retail, or other seller
that sells regulated material in the ordinary course of its
business; or
(3) the entity:
(A) acquired the item more than 72 hours,
excluding weekends and holidays, before the disposal, processing,
sale, or removal; and
(B) obtained a digital or video photograph of the
seller of the regulated material and the regulated material
purchased.
SECTION 11. Section 1956.038, Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 1956.038. PROHIBITED ACTS. (a) A person may not,
with the intent to deceive:
(1) display to a metal recycling entity a false or
invalid personal identification document in connection with the
person's attempted sale of regulated material;
(2) make a false, material statement or representation
to a metal recycling entity in connection with:
(A) that person's execution of a written
statement required by Section 1956.032(a)(3); or
(B) the entity's efforts to obtain the
information required under Section 1956.033(b); [or]
(3) display or provide to a metal recycling entity any
information required under Section 1956.032 that the person knows
is false or invalid; or
(4) display another individual's personal
identification document in connection with the sale of regulated
material.
(b) A metal recycling entity may not, unless otherwise
prohibited under this section, pay more than:
(1) $150 in cash for a purchase of regulated metal; or
(2) $1,000 in cash for a purchase of regulated
material, other than regulated metal.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 1956.003(a) or any other law, a
county, municipality, or political subdivision may not adopt a
rule, charter, or ordinance or issue an order or impose standards
that limit the use of cash by a metal recycling entity in a manner
more restrictive than that provided by Subsection (b).
SECTION 12. Section 1956.040(a), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
violates Section 1956.021, Section 1956.023(d), Section
1956.036(a), or Section 1956.038. An offense under this subsection
is a Class A misdemeanor unless it is shown on trial of the offense
that the person has previously been convicted of a violation of this
subchapter, in which event the offense is a state jail felony.
SECTION 13. Section 1956.103(a), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A person may not sell or otherwise transfer to a metal
recycling entity:
(1) a lead-acid battery, fuel tank, or PCB-containing
capacitor that is included with another type of scrap, used, or
obsolete metal without first obtaining from the metal recycling
entity a written and signed acknowledgment that the scrap, used, or
obsolete metal includes one or more lead-acid batteries, fuel
tanks, or PCB-containing capacitors;
(2) any of the following items that contain or enclose
a lead-acid battery, fuel tank, or PCB-containing capacitor or of
which a lead-acid battery, fuel tank, or PCB-containing capacitor
is a part:
(A) a motor vehicle;
(B) a motor vehicle that has been junked,
flattened, dismantled, or changed so that it has lost its character
as a motor vehicle;
(C) an appliance; or
(D) any other item of scrap, used, or obsolete
metal; [or]
(3) a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle that has been
junked, flattened, dismantled, or changed so that it has lost its
character as a motor vehicle if the motor vehicle includes,
contains, or encloses a tire or scrap tire; or
(4) a metal alcoholic beverage keg, regardless of
condition, unless the seller is the manufacturer of the keg, the
brewer or distiller of the beverage that was contained in the keg,
or an authorized representative of the manufacturer, brewer, or
distiller.
SECTION 14. Section 1956.151, Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 1956.151. DENIAL OF CERTIFICATE; DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
The department shall deny an application for a certificate of
registration, suspend or revoke a certificate of registration, or
reprimand a person who is registered under this chapter if the
person:
(1) obtains a certificate of registration by means of
fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of a material fact;
(2) sells, barters, or offers to sell or barter a
certificate of registration;
(3) violates a provision of this chapter or a rule
adopted under this chapter; or
(4) violates Section 1956.021.
SECTION 15. Section 1956.202(d), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(d) A civil penalty may not be assessed under this section
for conduct described by Section 1956.021, Section 1956.023(d),
Section 1956.036(a), or Section 1956.038.
SECTION 16. Section 31.03(e), Penal Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), an offense under
this section is:
(1) a Class C misdemeanor if the value of the property
stolen is less than:
(A) $50; or
(B) $20 and the defendant obtained the property
by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order in a manner
described by Section 31.06;
(2) a Class B misdemeanor if:
(A) the value of the property stolen is:
(i) $50 or more but less than $500; or
(ii) $20 or more but less than $500 and the
defendant obtained the property by issuing or passing a check or
similar sight order in a manner described by Section 31.06; or
(B) the value of the property stolen is less
than:
(i) $50 and the defendant has previously
been convicted of any grade of theft; or
(ii) $20, the defendant has previously been
convicted of any grade of theft, and the defendant obtained the
property by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order in a
manner described by Section 31.06;
(3) a Class A misdemeanor if the value of the property
stolen is $500 or more but less than $1,500;
(4) a state jail felony if:
(A) the value of the property stolen is $1,500 or
more but less than $20,000, or the property is less than 10 head of
cattle, horses, or exotic livestock or exotic fowl as defined by
Section 142.001, Agriculture Code, or any part thereof under the
value of $20,000, or less than 100 head of sheep, swine, or goats or
any part thereof under the value of $20,000;
(B) regardless of value, the property is stolen
from the person of another or from a human corpse or grave;
(C) the property stolen is a firearm, as defined
by Section 46.01;
(D) the value of the property stolen is less than
$1,500 and the defendant has been previously convicted two or more
times of any grade of theft;
(E) the property stolen is an official ballot or
official carrier envelope for an election; or
(F) the value of the property stolen is less than
$20,000 and the property stolen is [insulated or noninsulated wire
or cable that consists of at least 50 percent]:
(i) aluminum;
(ii) bronze; [or]
(iii) copper; or
(iv) brass;
(5) a felony of the third degree if the value of the
property stolen is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000, or the
property is:
(A) 10 or more head of cattle, horses, or exotic
livestock or exotic fowl as defined by Section 142.001, Agriculture
Code, stolen during a single transaction and having an aggregate
value of less than $100,000; or
(B) 100 or more head of sheep, swine, or goats
stolen during a single transaction and having an aggregate value of
less than $100,000;
(6) a felony of the second degree if the value of the
property stolen is $100,000 or more but less than $200,000; or
(7) a felony of the first degree if the value of the
property stolen is $200,000 or more.
SECTION 17. Section 1956.014(d), Occupations Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 18. (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (c) of this
section, the change in law made by this Act applies only to an
offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For
purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
before that date.
(b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
(c) The enhancement of the punishment of an offense provided
under Section 1956.003(h), Occupations Code, as added by this Act,
applies only to an offense committed on or after January 1, 2010.
For purposes of this subsection, an offense is committed before
January 1, 2010, if any element of the offense occurs before that
date. An offense committed before January 1, 2010, is covered by
the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law
is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 19. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.