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Print This PageTALLAHASSEE
Tougher regulations on scrap metal dealers are speeding through the Legislature as state leaders look to give law enforcement more tools to combat thefts of air conditioning units and other items targeted by metal thieves.
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the bill Wednesday, leaving one more committee stop before a vote on the House floor. The legislation is based on a new Sarasota County ordinance considered one of the most aggressive in the state.
The proposed state regulations mirror requirements in Sarasota County that recycled metal dealers check for proof of ownership when purchasing restricted items, including copper air conditioning components, manhole covers and electric light pole parts.
Metal dealers are also required to pay for certain regulated materials by check and transmit records of purchased items to a law enforcement database. Sarasota County had 194 air conditioning units stolen last year.
Bill sponsor Rep. Clay Ford, R-Gulf Breeze, noted that he was the victim of metal theft in December when a heating and air conditioning unit was stolen from his law firm. The replacement cost was $2,500. The metal parts likely fetched about $100 from a recycler, Ford said.
