The bill, S.B. No. 1713, amends Section 263.152(a) of the Local Government Code to enhance the authority of county commissioners courts regarding the disposal of surplus and salvage property. The key changes include allowing counties to donate surplus property to civic or charitable organizations located within the county, provided that the commissioners court determines the donation serves a public purpose and that the county retains sufficient control over the donation process to ensure the public purpose is achieved. Additionally, the bill specifies that the organization receiving the donation must provide adequate consideration, such as relieving the county of related transportation or disposal expenses.

The bill removes the previous requirement that a county must undertake to sell the property and find that no bids are likely to be received or that the bid price would be less than the county's expenses before making a donation. This change streamlines the process for counties to support local civic and charitable organizations by facilitating the donation of surplus property without the need for prior unsuccessful attempts to sell it. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote from both houses of the legislature or on September 1, 2025, if such a vote is not achieved.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Local Government Code 263.152 (Local Government Code 263)