Relating to criminal conduct involving the theft, damage, destruction, or unlawful possession of copper or brass, to criminal conduct committed in, around, or in relation to critical infrastructure facilities or equipment or interrupting or impairing the operation of those facilities or equipment, and to the sale of regulated materials, including copper or brass material, to metal recycling entities and training on identifying those materials; creating criminal offenses; increasing criminal penalties; providing an administrative penalty.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Charlie Geren and 4 co-sponsors

Texas bill criminalizes copper/brass theft from critical infrastructure with enhanced penalties and requires metal recyclers to identify and track regulated materials before purchase.

Laid on the table subject to call

#crimes--againstproperty(i0175) #criminalprocedure--general(i0208) #publicsafetycommission(v8707) #secondhandmetal(s0255) #utilities--general(i0830) #utilities--telecommunications(i0828)

Legislative bill overview

HB 3552 creates and enhances criminal penalties for theft, damage, or unlawful possession of copper and brass materials, particularly when targeting critical infrastructure. The bill also regulates the sale of these metals to recycling entities and mandates training for metal recyclers to identify regulated materials.

Why is this important

Copper and brass theft from infrastructure—including power lines, water systems, and telecommunications equipment—causes service disruptions, public safety risks, and costly repairs. By increasing penalties and controlling the scrap metal supply chain, the bill aims to reduce incentives for theft and make it harder for thieves to profit from stolen materials.

Potential points of contention

Scope of "critical infrastructure": The definition may be broadly interpreted, potentially catching minor thefts or creating enforcement inconsistencies across jurisdictions

Burden on recyclers: Mandatory training and identification requirements add compliance costs for metal recycling businesses and may burden smaller operators disproportionately

Effectiveness concerns: Increased penalties alone may not deter organized theft rings; enforcement requires resources to investigate and prosecute cases involving coordinated criminal activity

Property rights questions: Regulations on selling copper/brass could affect legitimate salvage operations, renovation contractors, and homeowners selling scrap materials from their property