March 12, 2013 – When metal thefts was becoming more than just a nuisance in Texas, Senate Bill 964 stated, in 2011, that metal theft was a state jail felony. Since this bill stabilised only that at least 50 percent of the stolen objects had to be made of certain metals in order to fall under the new law, this led to curious consequences as the Texas District and County Attorneys Association stated.
Their director of governmental relations Shannon Edmonds reported jokes among lawyers that according to the law steeling beer in metal cans would be felony under the new law. The same goes for stealing a penny because the law gives no minimum value. A new bill is intended to mend exactly this weak point by specifying that the law complies only to thefts of metal worth $500 and more.
You can read a detailed article on the topic in the Texas Tribune.