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 to the county, such as alleviating transportation or disposal costs.

The bill removes the previous requirement that a county must attempt to sell the property before donating it, which was based on the likelihood of receiving no bids or a bid price lower than the county's expenses for the bidding process. This change aims to streamline the process for counties to support local civic and charitable organizations while ensuring that the donations are beneficial to the public. 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)