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HB269 • 2026

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

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

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Underwood
Last action
2026-02-10
Official status
Indefinitely Postponed in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on the consequences if an awarding authority does not use competitive bidding.

Exemption from Competitive Bidding for Vehicle Repairs

This bill allows local government agencies to choose not to use competitive bidding when repairing vehicles that cost less than $15,000 and weigh no more than 12,000 pounds.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an exemption for local awarding authorities from the requirement of using competitive bidding for vehicle repairs under $15,000 if the vehicle has a gross weight rating of 12,000 pounds or less.
  • Requires local awarding authorities to get at least two price estimates before choosing a vendor without competitive bidding.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local government agencies such as county commissions and municipal governing bodies.
  • Vendors who repair vehicles for local awarding authorities.

Terms To Know

awarding authority
A term used in the bill to refer to any county commission, city council, or other similar government body that can make decisions about spending money on repairs and services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if an awarding authority chooses not to use competitive bidding.
  • It is unclear how this exemption will affect the overall cost of vehicle repairs for local governments.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-10 House

    Currently Indefinitely Postponed

  2. 2026-02-10 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin

  3. 2026-01-21 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  4. 2026-01-21 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  5. 2026-01-15 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  6. 2026-01-15 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on County and Municipal Government

Official Summary Text

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

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB269 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB269
84IDKHF-1
By Representative Underwood
RFD: County and Municipal Government
First Read: 15-Jan-26
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84IDKHF-1 01/12/2026 GED (L)ma 2026-156
Page 1
First Read: 15-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, governing authorities of
municipalities, counties, and instrumentalities in the
state, prior to expending $30,000 or more for any
labor, services, work, or for the purchase of
materials, equipment, supplies, or other personal
property, must enter into the contractual agreement by
free and open competitive bidding, on sealed bids, to
the lowest responsible bidder.
This bill would establish a limited exemption
from the competitive bidding requirements for
expenditures of less than $15,000 for the repair of
vehicles by local awarding authorities in the state.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to competitive bidding; adding Section
41-16-52.1 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to exempt certain
awarding authorities from competitive bidding requirements for
repairs of vehicles under certain circumstances.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 41-16-52.1 is added to the Code of
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HB269 INTRODUCED
Page 2
Section 1. Section 41-16-52.1 is added to the Code of
Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
§41-16-52.1
(a) For purposes of this section, the term "awarding
authority" means any county commission, governing body of a
municipality, or an instrumentality of a county or
municipality, including a waterworks board, a sewer board, a
gas board, and other like utility boards and commissions.
(b) All expenditures of funds, made by or on the behalf
of any awarding authority, for repair parts and the repair of
vehicles shall be made at the option of the awarding authority
without regard to this article when the following conditions
are met:
(1) The vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating of
12,000 pounds or less.
(2) The incident of repair does not involve more than
fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).
(3) The awarding authority solicits and documents price
estimates from at least two different vendors prior to
awarding the contract.
(c) The exemption provided under this section shall
apply to each vehicle repaired, and the exempted expenditure
shall not be aggregated with the expenditures of any other
incidents of repair.
(d)(1) The option provided by subsection (b) may be
exercised by the awarding authority by specific reference to
this section on any purchase orders and purchase commitments
executed by the awarding authority.
(2) The option shall not be exercised by any employee,
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HB269 INTRODUCED
Page 3
(2) The option shall not be exercised by any employee,
agent, or servant unless done so after having received
official prior approval of the respective awarding authority
or unless exercised pursuant to a formal policy adopted by the
awarding authority setting out conditions and restrictions
under which the option shall be exercised.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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