Local and state leaders gathered under the 6th Street Bridge on Monday to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign AB 476, a bill aimed at curbing copper wire theft across California.
Authored by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, the bill seeks to address a growing issue that has affected a vital part of infrastructure, particularly in communities like Boyle Heights, where copper wire theft has left the 6th Street Bridge dark for nearly two years.
“Copper wire theft just isn’t a nuisance, it’s a direct attack on public safety. It’s an attack on our infrastructure and an attack on the very fabric of our communities,” Gonzalez said. “AB 476 gives law enforcement the tools to act, gives neighborhoods the protection they deserve and our infrastructure the safeguards it needs to stay strong and to stay bright.”
If signed into law, the bill would:
- increase penalties to better reflect the high costs of damage and replacement of infrastructure
- mandate junk dealers and recyclers to collect and maintain detailed records, including verification of sellers’ identities and lawful ownership
- expand restrictions on certain types of scrap metal from being sold, such as metals from traffic signals, plaques or streetlights
In the last year, the city of Los Angeles received nearly 46,000 service requests for street light outages, 40% of which were due to copper theft, according to a press release issued by Gonzalez’s office.
On the 6th Street Bridge alone, more than 38,000 feet of copper wire have been stolen — worth an estimated $11,000 in scrap value, but costing more than $2.5 million in repairs.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman directly addressed the buyers of illegally sourced copper wire and other metals at the press conference.
“We’re coming after you. We’re making sure you are then abiding by the law. If not, you’re going to be looking at felonies, thousands of dollars of fines and we are going to come after each and every one of the illegal junk and metal recyclers. And we will be absolutely relentless,” Hochman said.
CD 14 Councilmember Jurado pointed to the nearly 2,000 street light outage reports in Boyle Heights in the last year, calling for a more proactive approach to reinforce essential city infrastructure and other reliable utilities.
“When essential services fail in neighborhoods in my district, it’s not just inconvenient, it’s inequitable,” Jurado said. “AB 476 shifts the focus to prevention, transparency and accountability. It makes sure that families are not left in the dark and that public resources serve residents equitably and effectively.”
Jurado also reiterated her mission to relight and reinforce the bridge’s infrastructure before the 2028 Olympics, but called the bill a step in the right direction to attack the issue from another angle.
Last year, the city, in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Bureau of Street Lighting, launched an anti-copper wire theft effort that yielded more than 80 arrests, over 2,000 pounds of stolen copper wire recovered, and nine firearms seized.
Newsom has until Oct. 12 to sign the bill into law. If signed, it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. He can also issue a veto, though lawmakers can override the veto with a two-thirds majority in both the Assembly and the Senate.