SB 496 — SECONDHAND DEALERS: Provides for the regulation of copper purchases by scrap metal dealers or recyclers. (8/1/26)

SB NO.

496 ENROLLED (8) The purchase of materials from any manufacturing, industrial, or other commercial vendor that generates the materials as a byproduct or recyclable waste or sells such materials in the ordinary course of its business.

(b) Any otherothermanufacturing, manufacturing,industrial,industrial, or other commercial business, or its agent, that generates scrap metal in the ordinary course and scope of its business.

exceptions * * * C.Inanytransactioninvolvingcopperorbrassmaterial,everyoperator shall be required to obtain a photograph of the person selling or delivering the copper or brass material to the facility, a thumbprint of the person, the quality of which thumbprint shall besufficienttoidentifybesufficienttoidentifytheperson, the person, and a photocopy of the person's valid Louisiana driver's license, valid driver's license from anotherstate,validpassport,militaryidentification,oridentificationanotherstate,validpassport,militaryidentification,oridentificationissuedby issuedbya Pagegovernmental 4agency ofor 8the Coding:United States Postal Service.

Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;

words in boldface type and underscored are additions.

SLS 26RS-1154 REENGROSSED SB NO.

496 a governmental agency or the United States Postal Service.

The operator shall have the responsibility of tendering the information provided for in Subsections A and B, B, and C of this Section regardless of its use or nonuse bythe chief of police in the cityor town in which he is doing business or, alternatively,Page to4 thesheriffofof the6 parishCoding: in which he is doing business.

ThetenderofWords this information is a courtesymandatedbystate law and which providesare astruck benefitthrough toare thedeletions generalfrom public.existing law;

words in boldface type and underscored are additions.

SB NO.

496 ENROLLED alternatively, to the sheriff of the parish in whichheisdoingbusiness.

Thetender of this information is a courtesymandatedbystate law and which provides a benefit to the general public.

Payments in excess of Pagethreehundreddollarsformetalsotherthancopperorbrassmaterials,oraluminum- 5copper air conditioning coils shall be made in the form of 8a Coding:check made payable to the name and address of the seller or a loadable payment card and maybe tendered to the seller at the time of the transaction.

Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;

words in boldface type and underscored are additions.

SLS 26RS-1154 REENGROSSED SB NO.

496 threehundreddollarsformetalsotherthancopperorbrassmaterials,oraluminum- copper air conditioning coils shall be made in the form of a check made payable to the name and address of the seller or a loadable payment card and maybe tendered to the seller at the time of the transaction.

Pursuantto theprovisions ofthisofthisSection,ifanoperatormakesapayment Section,ifanoperatormakes apayment to the seller in the form of a check or loadable payment card, the operator shall require verification of the seller's identification bya valid driver's license or similar means and shall require verification of the seller's address by a current utility bill.

ThePage operator5 shallof retain6 aCoding: copyof such utility bill.

* * * The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.

The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] DIGEST SB 496 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Connick Present law provides for the licensure and regulation of scrap metal recyclers.

Present law provides for definitions.

Proposed law retains present law definitions and defines additional terms, including "cable service provider", "carrier", "common carrier", "copper or brass material", "operator", "pipeline", "public utility", "telecommunication service", and "video service provider".

Present law exempts from regulation certain persons and transactions, including certain dealers, nonprofit entities, permitted waste operators, pawnbrokers, and purchases of materials from commercial or industrial vendors generating such materials as a byproduct or recyclable waste in the ordinarycourse of business.

Proposed law retains present law exemptions and further clarifies that the exemptions includes business-to-business purchases of materials by an operator from certain specified licensed entities andserviceproviders,aswellasfromcommercialor industrial businesses, or their agents, that generate scrap metal in the ordinarycourse of business.

Presentlawrequireseachoperatortoobtainaphotographofanypersonsellingordelivering scrap metal to the facility.

In lieu of a photograph, the operator may obtain a thumbprint or aphotocopyofvalididentification.Furtherrequiressuchrecordstobecross-referencedwith Page 6 of 8 Coding:

SLS 26RS-1154 REENGROSSED SB NO.

496 therequiredledgerentryunderpresentlaw,whichshallENROLLED beretainedforatleastoneyear,andThe madeoperator availableshall toretain lawa enforcementcopyof withinsuch 24utility hoursbill. upon request.

Present* law* requires* eachPRESIDENT operatorOF toTHE obtainSENATE oneSPEAKER orOF moreTHE photographsHOUSE ofOF allREPRESENTATIVES scrapGOVERNOR metalOF purchased,THE withSTATE sufficientOF qualityLOUISIANA toAPPROVED: identifythe type of scrap metal, to be cross-referenced with the required ledger entry under present law and made available to law enforcement within 24 hours upon request.

ProposedPage law6 retains present law and requires that in any transaction involving copper or brass material, each operator obtain a photograph of the6 seller,Coding: a thumbprint sufficient to identify the person, and a photocopy of valid identification.

Presentlawrequireseachoperatortoproduceanddelivertotheappropriatelawenforcement official, prior to 12:00 noon each day, a complete and legible copy of the previous day's transaction records and to submit such information to a database accessible by law enforcement.

Further authorizes law enforcement to request personally identifiable information related to specific transactions and requires the operator to provide such information within 24 hours of the request.

Present law provides that the operator is responsible for transmitting the required information regardless of whether it is used by law enforcement and provides that law enforcement is not required to take anyaction based on the information received.

Proposedlawretainspresentlawandprovidesthatin transactionsinvolvingcopperorbrass materials,priorto12:00nooneachday,eachoperatorshall transmit photographsofallsuch materials purchased during the previous day to an electronic database accessible by law enforcement.

Present law prohibits scrap metal recyclers from entering into cash transactions for copper and requires payment to be made by check issued to the seller and mailed to the address on the sellers identification no earlier than five business days after the transaction.

Present law prohibits cash transactions in excess of $300 for the purchaseof metal property other than copper and requires such payment to be made by check, which may be tendered at the time of the transaction.

Further provides that payments of $300 or less may be made by cash or other method at the operators discretion.

Present law requires that payments made by check or loadable payment card include verification of the seller's identification and address by providing a current utility bill and requires the operator to retain a copyof the current utility bill as proof of address.

Proposed law retains present law except expands the application of present law to include brass materials and removes the requirement that an operator verify the seller's address by a current utility bill.

Effective August 1, 2026.

(AmendsR.S.37:1962,1964(8),1972(C),1973(A)(1)(intropara),(A)(2),and(C);addsR.S.

37:1968(C) and 1972(D)) Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate Committee Amendments Proposed bySenate Committee on Commerce,Consumer Protection, and International Affairs to the original bill 1.

Makes technical changes.

Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill Page 7 of 8 Coding:

Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;

words in boldface type and underscored are additions.

SLS 26RS-1154 REENGROSSED SB NO.

496 1.

Removes the exemption from regulation for contractors, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC service professionals.

2.

Makes technical changes.

Page 8 of 8 Coding: