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.

HB 3552 strengthens criminal penalties for theft, damage, or unlawful possession of copper or brass near critical infrastructure facilities, such as power plants, water treatment centers, pipelines, and dams. It creates new offenses for stealing these materials from such sites and increases penalties for damaging infrastructure or interrupting operations. The bill also requires metal recycling businesses to verify the legitimacy of copper/brass sales and imposes administrative fines for non-compliance. This directly affects thieves targeting infrastructure, recycling entities handling these materials, and property owners of critical facilities. The law aims to deter theft by making it a more serious crime and adding accountability for recyclers.