Legislation to curb a recent rise in car-thefts and target repeat offenders was passed unanimously by the Senate and is on the way to the governor to be signed into law.

The bipartisan legislation, House Bill 2354, will give law enforcement more time to investigate auto theft by extending the statute of limitations from three years to six years for trafficking in stolen vehicles and auto parts.

“This is an important change for law enforcement,” said Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, who sponsored the House version of the bill. She noted that detectives can spend years working hard to investigate these crimes, so they need additional time to arrest and prosecute these complex auto-theft rings.