New York state officials are launching a new push to crackdown on copper and catalytic converter theft.

State Sen. Sean Ryan was joined by Assemblymember Monica Wallace and local law enforcement Friday at Niagara Metals in Buffalo to push for legislation that would reduce the recent spike in copper and catalytic converter theft throughout the state.

"Theft of copper, particularly in the form of catalytic converters, is at an all time high. It takes a thief just minutes to steal a component that could cost the victim thousands to replace. With this new legislation, we hope to greatly discourage such thefts and catch those responsible for these incidents," Sen. Ryan said.

The bill would require catalytic converters to be marked with a serial number and would establish stricter standards for scrap metal recycling facilities across the New York state, as well as create penalties for those who fail to comply with the regulations.

"In the face of a nationwide wave of catalytic converter theft, it's imperative that we enact control measures to stop the illegal resale of these devices and bring offenders to justice. I support Sen. Ryan's legislation to set statewide standards for scrap metal recycling facilities to record information about resellers in order to deter theft and help law enforcement hold offenders accountable," Assemb. Wallace added.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports annual losses of $1 billion due to copper theft.