Bill Text: TX SB1713 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the authority of a county to dispose of surplus and salvage property to a civic or charitable organization.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-03-13 - Referred to Local Government [SB1713 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-SB1713-Introduced.html

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89R13266 CS-F
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1713

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the authority of a county to dispose of surplus and
salvage property to a civic or charitable organization.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 263.152(a), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) The commissioners court of a county may:
(1) periodically sell the county's surplus or salvage
property by competitive bid or auction, except that competitive
bidding or an auction is not necessary if the purchaser is another
county or a political subdivision within the county that is selling
the surplus or salvage property;
(2) offer the property as a trade-in for new property
of the same general type if the commissioners court considers that
action to be in the best interests of the county;
(3) order any of the property to be destroyed or
otherwise disposed of as worthless if the commissioners court
undertakes to sell that property under Subdivision (1) and is
unable to do so because no bids are made;
(4) dispose of the property by donating it to a civic
or charitable organization located in the county if the
commissioners court determines that:
(A) [undertaking to sell the property under
Subdivision (1) would likely result in no bids or a bid price that
is less than the county's expenses required for the bid process;
[(B)] the donation serves a public purpose; [and]
(B) the county can retain sufficient control over
the donation process to ensure that the public purpose of the
donation is accomplished; and
(C) the organization will provide the county with
adequate consideration, such as relieving the county of
transportation or disposal expenses related to the property;
(5) transfer gambling equipment in the possession of
the county following its forfeiture to the state to the Texas
Facilities Commission for sale under Section 2175.904, Government
Code; or
(6) order any vehicle retired under a program designed
to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles to be crushed and
recycled, if practicable, without a competitive bid or auction.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.