In Indiana, members continued work on Senate Bill 65, a designated Secretary of State Agency bill, that allows vehicles 15 years and older to be purchased without a title or certificate of authority. Due to opposition from State Police, ISRI members advocated for an amendment to the bill to raise the threshold to 20 years to gain more stakeholder support. This adjustment would streamline purchases by eliminating the need for a title, sparing customers the requirement of obtaining a Certificate of Authority in cases where a title wasn’t available.
Indiana Legislative Chair Jerry Andrews of OmniSource testifies in front of Indiana’s Committee on Homeland Security and Transportation.
The State Police, Secretary of State and ISRI came to an agreement that Auto Salvage License Dealers could buy vehicles without a title, and could then apply for the Certificate of Authority at time of purchase. There is no tag and hold, but members would have to report to local authorities if the car came back stolen and/or if the information from the seller did not match.
This bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Transportation on January 8. The updated version of SB 65 was heard in committee on January 30 where Indiana Legislative Chair Jerry Andrews of OmniSource and Phil Thompson of River Metals Recycling testified in support, effectively advocating for the recycling industry and ISRI’s position. Other key stakeholders in attendance included the Indiana State Police and the Secretary of State’s office.
Due to the successful collaboration, the bill passed unanimously. The bill underwent deliberation on the full Senate floor on Thursday, February 1, where it successfully passed committee. It is scheduled to proceed to third reading for a final vote on Monday, February 5. Following these proceedings, the bill will undergo a similar process in the House.
