SB128 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tom Whatley

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Agriculture and Industries Department, commissioner authorized to sell certain abandoned or stolen property and firearms, proceeds distributed to Agricultural Fund

Summary

The bill requires the Agriculture and Industries Commissioner to track abandoned or stolen property, allow disposal or sale of such items (including firearms), hold regular public auctions, and send sale proceeds to the Agricultural Fund.

What This Bill Does

It requires the Commissioner to keep permanent public records of recovered abandoned or stolen property, including firearms, and to store them securely. It authorizes selling or destroying unclaimed firearms and other property, with sales to licensed gun dealers under specific rules and cash payments. It mandates public auctions every six months for unclaimed non-firearm property, with published notices, and allows owners to claim items before sale by proving ownership and paying recovery and sale costs; after expenses, sale proceeds go to the Agricultural Fund.

Who It Affects

• Property owners whose abandoned or stolen items (including firearms) have been recovered, who may claim their property before sale and must cover recovery, storage, and sale expenses.
• Licensed Alabama gun dealers and members of the public who bid at public auctions for abandoned or unclaimed firearms and other property.

Key Provisions

• Section 1: Commissioner must maintain a permanent, public Records of all abandoned and stolen property recovered, with item description, recovery date, identifying numbers, and place of recovery; records open for public inspection.
• Section 2: Perishable property may be sold without notice if owner cannot be located; proceeds held for six months for owner to claim, after which net funds go to the Agricultural Fund.
• Section 3: Separate records for abandoned/stolen firearms; six-month claim period; firearms may be sold or destroyed if unclaimed; sales limited to in-state licensed gun dealers, highest sealed bid, cash sale; proceeds go to the Agricultural Fund.
• Section 4: At least every six months, non-firearm abandoned/stolen property is sold at public auction to the highest cash bidder; notice must be published or posted in advance.
• Section 5: Owners can claim property before sale by proving ownership and paying recovery, storage, and a share of publication costs.
• Section 6: If property is sold, a notation is added to the records; seller may reject unreasonably low bids and continue the sale if needed.
• Section 7: Proceeds from sales, after expenses, go to the State Treasury for the Agricultural Fund.
• Section 8: The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and Governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Agriculture and Industries Department