Senate Passed New Legislation to Curb Copper Theft in Kentucky

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  Senate Bill 64, which attempts to address the growing number of metal theft incidents—particularly copper thefts—has been approved by the Kentucky state senate.

The legislation's provisions provide public infrastructure with protection. It also suggests sweepingly updating the state's infrastructure security regulations to avoid interruptions to vital services.

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More severe punishments for copper metal theft are proposed in the Senate bill. The bill states that tampering, damage, or theft of essential infrastructure shall be classified as a Class D crime. Additionally, it will safeguard infrastructure supporting public utilities and power systems, emergency response communication networks, and cable television, phone, and broadband services.

The bill's proponent, Senator Brandon Storm of London, noted that copper wire thefts have cost the state millions of dollars in repairs and had major repercussions, such as power outages and 911 interruptions.

According to statistics, Kinetic has documented over 70 instances of copper theft in southeast Kentucky over the course of the past 12 months. In the first half of 2024, Louisville recorded up to 328 theft incidents. The cost of fixing the highway lighting exceeded $1 million. Additionally, service interruptions have been reported throughout the state by all of the major utility companies, including AT&T and Louisville Gas and Electric.