Facing a major outbreak of thefts, a key legislative committee voted Tuesday to crack down on the sale of stolen catalytic converters from automobiles.

The public safety committee voted unanimously to prohibit junkyards and motor vehicle recyclers from receiving a catalytic converter that is not attached to a vehicle. That move is designed to stop criminals from cutting converters off cars and bringing them to junkyards in return for cash.

Both Republicans and Democrats say the thefts are a growing problem in towns around the state as thieves sell the converters for hundreds of dollars. The items are valuable because they contain precious metals that include platinum, rhodium, and palladium.

The seven-page bill would require record-keeping by scrap metal processors and others for at least two years to track the sales and include any identification numbers on the converters, as well as the name, address and driver’s license number of the seller. The measure would also limit a seller to only one converter per day per licensee, and the transactions would need to be made by check, not cash. The junk dealers would need to file weekly reports with the state police on their transactions in a closely watched system.

“There’s no doubt that it’s widespread and affecting the entire state and around the country,” said Brian J. Foley, a top aide to public safety commissioner James C. Rovella. “Much like with the copper thefts that we used to see with all the copper being stolen, the best way to control that is at the recycle yards. That’s what this bill looks to do. This, I believe, will help with the catalytic converter thefts.”

Using a battery-powered saw, an experienced criminal can slice the converter off the car in less than two minutes, police say.

Tuesday’s vote came during the public safety committee’s final meeting of the session as legislative committees are now facing deadlines to pass bills. All bills require final approval by the House and Senate as the regular session heads toward adjournment on May 4.

Converters have been stolen nationwide — with increases that started spiking with the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. The reason is that the metals needed to create the converters are worth hundreds of dollars upon resale.

The thefts have occurred in numerous towns. In Glastonbury, thefts have jumped to a record-breaking 56 so far in less than three full months this year, compared to only 14 for the entire year in 2020, according to police statistics.

In Windsor Locks, 26 converters have been stolen from a plumbing and heating contractor, according to police.

School buses have been vandalized in Vernon and other towns as thieves arrive at night in the yards where the buses are parked. Last year, converters were stolen from 28 parked buses in Trumbull — knocking out the entire bus fleet. The damage reached about $75,000 because each bus was equipped with two converters.

Some thieves have been particularly emboldened, creating dangerous situations as they flee when police arrive.

In Windsor Locks recently, a detective narrowly escaped injury at 2:15 a.m. when he arrived as a catalytic converter was being sawed off a vehicle at a hotel parking lot, police said. The detective reportedly saw the car fall to the ground after a jack that held it up was released. The thief then drove directly at the officer’s marked police car and missed it by inches before escaping, police said.

A chase was called off under a statewide pursuit policy that generally outlaws chases for property crimes in an attempt to avoid injuries of police and innocent bystanders who could be struck during a chase.

In Farmington, Officer James O’Donnell suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a fleeing, stolen vehicle on Sept. 20 after going to a scene on a call about a suspected stolen catalytic converter. O’Donnell was squeezed between his police car and a car driven by New Britain resident Pedro Acevedo, who was charged with first-degree assault and other criminal counts.

O’Donnell endured two surgeries and now has a permanent screw in the bone between his hips and tailbone.

In other matters, the committee approved a multifaceted bill that includes disallowing any discipline against police officers for receiving mental health services related to a behavioral health assessment, sets aside $100,000 for training on crisis intervention, and requires a study to determine how many calls to the 911 emergency system would be better handled by the 211 Infoline system. The bill would also create a task force that will study the mental health needs of police.

Rep. Greg Howard, a Republican who also serves as a Stonington police detective, said the committee had kicked off “a great start to the session" with bipartisan support of various bills.

The committee also approved a bill that would “allow a police officer to take a person into protective custody when the officer has reasonable cause to believe that such person is experiencing a narcotics overdose." But Democrats said the bill still needs to be improved because the measure is opposed by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the state public health department, and the Connecticut Association of Paramedics and EMTs, among others.

Rep. Carol Hall, an Enfield Republican, said the bill was “a nice compromise" that is “asking for a lesser action than the police have the ability to do now" because officers “can actually make arrests when someone is involved in drug overdoses."

She added, ”It is not seeking to arrest or incarcerate or hold anyone against their will. ... This is not a mandatory custody. It is simply a transport for the medical help they need."

But Robert Glaspy, Jr., representing the paramedics, said, “Our concern is that this bill could deter witnesses from activating the 911 system in fear of having their loved one taken into custody. In recent years, many efforts have been made, including not criminally charging opiate overdose patients, to prevent unnecessary death due to fear of calling 911. We are worried that passing this bill would negate all those efforts."