HB363 Alabama 2020 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Kyle South
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2020
Title: Lamar Co., tangible personal property and other items, provide further for the sale or disposal of under the control of the co. commission, Sec. 45-38-71.01 am'd.
Summary: HB363 changes Lamar County's rules for selling or disposing county property by requiring competitive bids or annual public auctions, with advertising, record-keeping, and penalties for violations.
What This Bill Does
The bill applies only to Lamar County and requires that sales or disposals of property owned by or under the county commission be conducted by free and open competitive sealed bids, with the county chair certifying the description, condition, and value and keeping this certification in the permanent record. It also allows an annual public auction after four weeks' notice. Trade-in value may be used as a credit against the cost of property purchased under the Alabama Competitive Bid Law, and proceeds from sales go to the appropriate county fund. Violations carry penalties, and taxpayers or unsuccessful bidders can sue to stop contracts; the act becomes effective immediately after gubernatorial approval.

Who It Affects
Lamar County government and the county commission — must follow competitive bidding or annual auction rules, certify property details, advertise properly, and manage proceeds.
Bidders, vendors, and taxpayers in Lamar County — must participate in open bidding or auctions, may challenge contracts, and may face penalties for violations.

Key Provisions
Applies only to Lamar County.
Sales or disposals of property owned by or under the county commission must be let by free and open competitive sealed bids; the chair certifies description/condition, assigns disposal jurisdiction, estimates value, and keeps this certification in the permanent record.
Tangible personal property, equipment, or other items may be sold at public auction once a year after sufficient notice; trade-in value may be used as a credit against future purchases under the Alabama Competitive Bid Law.
All proposals must be publicly advertised for four consecutive weeks in a countywide newspaper and once in a statewide newspaper not less than seven days before bid closing; advertisements must include property description and bid opening details.
Bids must be publicly opened; bidders may attend; collusion or bid discrimination voids bids and may disqualify bidders.
Alternatively, tangible property may be sold at a public auction by public bidding once a year with four weeks' advance notice and a list of auctioned items available at the county commission offices.
Proceeds from sales/disposals go to the district fund owning the property or the county general fund if the property belonged to the county.
Violations are Class B felonies, with fines up to $15,000 and potential imprisonment up to seven years.
Taxpayers and bona fide unsuccessful bidders can file a civil action to enjoin contracts that violate this section.
The act becomes effective immediately after approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Lamar County