House Bill 269 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kerry UnderwoodRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Competitive bidding; repairs of vehicles under $15,000 for certain awarding authorities exempt

Summary

HB269 would create a limited exemption to competitive bidding for vehicle repairs under $15,000 by certain Alabama local awarding authorities, with specific conditions and per-incident applicability, effective October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

The bill adds a new Section 41-16-52.1 to Alabama law. It allows awarding authorities—counties, municipal governing bodies, and certain utility boards—to repair vehicles for under $15,000 without competitive bidding if the vehicle’s GVWR is 12,000 pounds or less and price estimates are obtained from at least two vendors before awarding. The exemption applies to each repair per vehicle and cannot be aggregated across repairs. The authority must reference this section on purchase orders to exercise the option, and employees must have prior approval or follow a formal policy to use it.

Who It Affects

• Local awarding authorities (counties, municipalities, and instrumentality boards) – may bypass competitive bidding for qualifying vehicle repairs under $15,000 if conditions are met.
• Repair vendors/shops – may gain business by providing price estimates to compete for these exempt repairs under the specified conditions.

Key Provisions

• Creates new Section 41-16-52.1 to exempt certain awarding authorities from competitive bidding for vehicle repairs under $15,000 under specified conditions.
• Exemption applies only to repairs where the vehicle has GVWR of 12,000 pounds or less and the repair cost does not exceed $15,000, with price estimates from at least two vendors obtained prior to award.
• Exemption is per repair and per vehicle, not aggregated across multiple incidents.
• Option to use the exemption must be indicated on purchase orders/commitments and exercised with prior official approval or a formal policy.
• Effective date: October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Competitive Bidding