An Act To Require That Sellers of Scrap Metal Provide Identification

Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §3901,  as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:

§ 3901. Records; definitions

Every dealer in junk shall keep a record of the name of every person selling junk to that dealer and the registration number of the motor vehicle used by that seller to deliver the junk. Every dealer in junk shall require a person selling old iron, chains, brass, stainless steel, copper, tin, lead or other base metals to provide to that dealer written documentation of the seller's identity. A dealer in junk may provide payment to a person selling old iron, chains, brass, stainless steel, copper, tin, lead or other base metals only in the form of a check for which the dealer maintains a record of the payee, check number and name of the financial institution upon which the check is drawn. These records shall must be open for the inspection of any officer of the law. Whoever fails to make a record as provided by this section commits a civil violation for which a fine of not more than $100 may be adjudged.

As used in this section, the word "junk" means old iron, chains, brass, stainless steel, copper, tin, lead or other base metals, old rope, old bags, rags, waste paper, paper clippings, scraps of woolens, clips, bagging, rubber and glass, and empty bottles of different kinds when less than one gross, and all articles discarded or no longer used as a manufactured article composed of any one or more of the materials mentioned.

summary

This bill requires sellers of scrap metal to provide written documentation of their identity to junk dealers. It requires a junk dealer to provide payment to a seller of scrap metal in the form of a check for which the dealer maintains a record of the payee, check number and name of the financial institution upon which the check is drawn.