After three years of discussion in the General Assembly,  legislation providing for the statewide regulation of scrap metal dealers passed on the last day of the session.  As introduced, both the Senate and House bill would have preempted local jurisdictions from enacting their own more strict laws and turned back the progress made in Baltimore City and Baltimore County with respect to the regulation of these dealers.

The final bill was decided by a conference committee after the Senate chose to keep the pre-emption language intact and the House struck it.  The conference committee amendments maintain the pre-emption language, but amend the bill to strengthen the business to business reporting by allowing law enforcement to inspect contracts a scrap metal dealer may have with business entities, and to require a copy of the driver’s license of the individual from whom the scrap metal is acquired.