(1) It is a gross misdemeanor under chapter 9A.20 RCW for:

(a) Any person to deliberately remove, alter, or obliterate any manufacturer's make, model, or serial number, personal identification number, or identifying marks engraved or etched upon an item of private metal property, nonferrous metal property, or commercial metal property in order to deceive a scrap metal business;

(b) Any scrap metal business to enter into a transaction to purchase or receive any private metal property, nonferrous metal property, or commercial metal property where the manufacturer's make, model, or serial number, personal identification number, or identifying marks engraved or etched upon the property have been deliberately and conspicuously removed, altered, or obliterated;

(c) Any person to knowingly make, cause, or allow to be made any false entry or misstatement of any material matter in any book, record, or writing required to be kept under this chapter;

(d) Any scrap metal business to enter into a transaction to purchase or receive private metal property, nonferrous metal property, or commercial metal property from any person under the age of 18 years or any person who is discernibly under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs;

(e) Any scrap metal business to enter into a transaction to purchase or receive private metal property, nonferrous metal property, or commercial metal property with anyone whom the scrap metal business has been informed by a law enforcement agency to have been convicted of a crime involving drugs, burglary, robbery, theft, or possession of or receiving stolen property, manufacturing, delivering, or possessing with intent to deliver methamphetamine, or possession of ephedrine or any of its salts or isomers or salts of isomers, pseudoephedrine or any of its salts or isomers or salts of isomers, or anhydrous ammonia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine within the past four years whether the person is acting in his or her own behalf or as the agent of another;

(f) Any person to sign the declaration required under RCW 19.290.020 knowing that the private metal property or nonferrous metal property subject to the transaction is stolen. The signature of a person on the declaration required under RCW 19.290.020 constitutes evidence of intent to defraud a scrap metal business if that person is found to have known that the private metal property or nonferrous metal property subject to the transaction was stolen;

(g) Any scrap metal business to possess private metal property or commercial metal property that was not lawfully purchased or received under the requirements of this chapter;

(h) Any scrap metal business to engage in a series of transactions valued at less than $30 with the same seller for the purposes of avoiding the requirements of RCW 19.290.030(4); or

(i) Any person to knowingly make a false or fictitious oral or written statement or to furnish or exhibit any false, fictitious, or misrepresented identification, with the intent to deceive a scrap metal business as to the actual seller of the scrap metal.

(2) Notwithstanding any fines imposed as part of the sentence under this section, each offense is punishable by a $1,000 fine per catalytic converter, 10 percent of which shall be directed to the no-buy list database program in RCW 43.43.885, and the remainder shall be directed to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs solely for grants issued under RCW 36.28A.240.

(3)(a) Facilitating the offer of used catalytic converters for sale without first verifying proof of ownership of the catalytic converter, or failing to retain verified records of ownership of used catalytic converters offered for sale for at least two years, is an unfair or deceptive act or practice or unfair method of competition in the conduct of trade or commerce for purposes of the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.

(b) All damages awarded to the state of Washington under chapter 19.86 RCW shall be distributed as follows:

(i) Ninety percent to the grant and training program in RCW 36.28A.240; and

(ii) Ten percent to the no-buy list database program in RCW 43.43.885.

Effective date—2022 c 221 ss 5-7: "Sections 5 through 7 of this act take effect July 1, 2022." [ 2022 c 221 s 13.]

Findings—Intent—2022 c 221: See note following RCW 19.290.020.