Image by Flickr user Proggie

Two bills introduced in the S.C. House of Representatives are aimed at cracking down on copper thieves by making recyclers who buy the metal jump through hoops to verify their purchases are 100 percent legitimate.

Bill H3660 makes selling stolen copper a felony, outlaws buying copper for cash and requires sellers to get an annual permit from the local sheriff's office. Bill H3689 also forbids buying copper for cash, but does not require the permit from the sheriff's office. Instead, the buyer must electronically transmit to the Department of Revenue a copy of the check and a photocopy of the seller's driver's license or picture identification. Then the Revenue Department must post the information on a website the same day of the sale.

The Post and Courier has a lengthy article on both bills as well as feedback from local police, copper recyclers and links to PDF versions of both bills.