House Bill 612 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Matthew HammettRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Covington County; sheriff authorized to sell certain abandoned, unclaimed, or stolen property and firearms, auction and disposition of funds provided, constitutional amendment

Summary

A constitutional amendment to authorize Covington County's sheriff to sell abandoned, stolen, and unclaimed property and firearms, with auctions and disposition of proceeds.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the amendment would allow the Covington County Sheriff to keep public records of recovered items, store them safely, and sell or auction unclaimed property. It sets rules for notice, owner claims, and how proceeds are handled, including a six-month window for owners to claim items and for firearms to be sold to licensed dealers. Proceeds from sales would go to the sheriff's fund for use in law enforcement, and firearms sales are restricted to licensed dealers and conducted by bid; non-firearm items can be sold at public or internet auctions.

Who It Affects

• Property owners in Covington County who have abandoned, stolen, or unclaimed items and their ability to reclaim them within six months by paying costs.
• Gun dealers and other bidders who participate in sheriff auctions and who may be purchasing firearms, with firearms restricted to licensed dealers and sale proceeds benefiting local law enforcement.

Key Provisions

• Sheriff must maintain permanent public records of abandoned/stolen property and firearms with details (description, recovery date, identifying numbers, where recovered).
• Perishable or unclaimed property may be sold without notice if owner cannot be located; sheriff must seek best price and hold proceeds for six months for owner’s claim (after recovery, storage, and sale costs).
• Firearms: records kept; may be sold or destroyed if unclaimed after six months; sale only to licensed gun dealers; highest sealed bid; cash proceeds go to the sheriff’s fund after expenses.
• Non-firearm property may be auctioned at least every six months (public or internet) if unclaimed; notice required (newspaper or courthouse posting) for at least 20 days.
• Owners can claim property before sale by proving ownership and paying recovery, maintenance, storage, and publication costs.
• Proceeds from sales go into the sheriff’s fund and are used for law enforcement at the sheriff’s discretion; storage and sale records must note the sale and amount received.
• The amendment would be ratified through a statewide election process and, upon ratification, added to the Alabama Constitution for Covington County.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Covington County