Under existing law, it is grand theft to steal, take, or carry away copper materials of another valued at more than $950.

Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted by Proposition 47, as approved by the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, requires the receipt of stolen property that does not exceed $950 to be punished as a misdemeanor, except in cases when the defendant has previously been convicted of one or more specified serious or violent felonies or an offense requiring registration as a sex offender. Proposition 47 authorizes amendment of its provisions by a 2 3 vote of the Members of each house of the Legislature so long as the amendments are consistent with and further the intent of the act.

This bill would amend Proposition 47 and require, for the purposes of this provision, value to be calculated as the full cost to the victim to repair and replace the stolen materials, including labor and equipment, rather than the fair market scrap value. Because this bill would expand the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.