The Florida Senate

273.01  Definitions.

273.02  Record and inventory of certain property.

273.03  Property supervision and control.

273.04  Property acquisition.

273.05  Surplus property.

273.055  Disposition of state-owned tangible personal property.

273.09  Penalty.

273.10  Repeal.

273.01  Definitions.--The following words as used in this act have the meanings set forth in the below subsections, unless a different meaning is required by the context.

(1)  "Custodian" means any elected or appointed state officer, board, commission, or authority, and any other person or agency entitled to lawful custody of property owned by the state.

(2)  "Property" means all tangible personal property owned by the state.

(3)  "Private nonprofit agency" means a nonprofit charitable organization, no part of the net earnings of which inures or may lawfully inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, which has been held to be tax exempt under the provisions of s. 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and which has as its principal mission:

(a)  Public health and welfare;

(b)  Education;

(c)  Environmental restoration and conservation;

(d)  Civil and human rights; or

(e)  The relief of human suffering and poverty.

History.--s. 1, ch. 57-277; s. 24, ch. 94-226.

273.02  Record and inventory of certain property.--The word "property" as used in this section means equipment, fixtures, and other tangible personal property of a nonconsumable and nonexpendable nature, the value or cost of which is $1,000 or more and the normal expected life of which is 1 year or more, and hardback-covered bound books that are circulated to students or the general public, the value or cost of which is $25 or more, and hardback-covered bound books, the value or cost of which is $250 or more. Each item of property which it is practicable to identify by marking shall be marked in the manner required by the Auditor General. Each custodian shall maintain an adequate record of property in his or her custody, which record shall contain such information as shall be required by the Auditor General. Once each year, on July 1 or as soon thereafter as is practicable, and whenever there is a change of custodian, each custodian shall take an inventory of property in his or her custody. The inventory shall be compared with the property record, and all discrepancies shall be traced and reconciled. All publicly supported libraries shall be exempt from marking hardback-covered bound books, as required by this section. The catalog and inventory control records maintained by each publicly supported library shall constitute the property record of hardback-covered bound books with a value or cost of $25 or more included in each publicly supported library collection and shall serve as a perpetual inventory in lieu of an annual physical inventory. All books identified by these records as missing shall be traced and reconciled, and the library inventory shall be adjusted accordingly.

History.--s. 2, ch. 57-277; s. 1, ch. 59-430; s. 1, ch. 69-74; s. 8, ch. 69-82; s. 3, ch. 80-380; s. 2, ch. 81-256; s. 4, ch. 87-137; s. 8, ch. 89-291; s. 185, ch. 95-148; s. 11, ch. 99-155; s. 27, ch. 99-399.

273.03  Property supervision and control.--The custodian shall be primarily responsible for the supervision, control, and disposition of the property in his or her custody but may delegate its use and immediate control to a person under his or her supervision and may require custody receipts.

History.--s. 3, ch. 57-277; s. 25, ch. 94-226; s. 857, ch. 95-148.

273.04  Property acquisition.--Whenever acquiring property, the custodian may pay the purchase price in full or may exchange property with the seller as a trade-in. If, whenever acquiring property, the custodian may best serve the interests of the state by outright sale of property rather than by exchange as a trade-in, the custodian may make the sale in the manner prescribed in this act for the disposal of surplus property.

History.--s. 4, ch. 57-277; s. 3, ch. 73-233; s. 215, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 26, ch. 94-226.

273.05  Surplus property.--

(1)  The custodian may classify as surplus any property in his or her custody that is obsolete or the continued use of which is uneconomical or inefficient or which serves no useful function as to any activity or location under his or her supervision.

(2)  Each custodian shall appoint one or more review boards to examine and make recommendations on approval or disapproval of classification of property as surplus.

(3)  Property determined to be surplus shall be certified as such by the custodian.

(4)  Each custodian shall promulgate rules or guidelines regarding the certification of surplus property.

(5)  The custodian shall maintain records of property that is certified as surplus with information indicating the value and condition of the property. Agency records for property certified as surplus shall comply with rules issued by the Auditor General.

History.--s. 5, ch. 57-277; ss. 22, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 4, ch. 70-146; s. 216, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 27, ch. 94-226; s. 858, ch. 95-148.

273.055  Disposition of state-owned tangible personal property.--

(1)  Certified surplus property shall not be sold, transferred, cannibalized, scrapped, warehoused, or destroyed without prior written authority from the custodian.

(2)  Custodians shall maintain records to identify each property item as to disposition. Such records shall comply with rules issued by the Auditor General.

(3)  Custodians may dispose of property certified as surplus by:

(a)  Selling or transferring the property to any other governmental entity;

(b)  Selling or donating the property to any private nonprofit agency;

(c)  Selling the property through a sale open to the public; or

(d)  Entering into contractual agreements with other entities, including, but not limited to, other governmental agencies or private vendors, which facilitate the final disposition of the property. Such agreements may include, but are not limited to, the leasing of storage space or arrangements for the disposal of scrap property.

(4)  Each custodian shall adopt guidelines or administrative rules and regulations pursuant to chapter 120 providing for, but not limited to, transferring, warehousing, bidding, destroying, scrapping, or other disposing of state-owned tangible personal property. However, the approval of the Department of Management Services is required prior to the disposal of motor vehicles, watercraft, or aircraft pursuant to ss. 287.15 and 287.16.

(5)  All moneys received from the disposition of state-owned tangible personal property or from any agreement entered into under this chapter must be retained by the custodian and may be disbursed for the acquisition of exchange and surplus property and for all necessary operating expenditures, and are appropriated for those purposes. The custodian shall maintain records of the accounts into which the money is deposited.

History.--ss. 1, 2, ch. 73-233; s. 52, ch. 79-190; s. 1, ch. 81-300; s. 217, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 28, ch. 94-226; s. 14, ch. 94-265; s. 57, ch. 98-279; s. 28, ch. 99-399.

273.09  Penalty.--Any custodian who violates any provision of this chapter or any rule prescribed pursuant to its authority shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

History.--s. 9, ch. 57-277; s. 157, ch. 71-136.

273.10  Repeal.--This act shall not repeal existing law relating to property but shall be interpreted to be supplementary in nature and shall be applicable to the extent that existing law is not in conflict.

History.--s. 11, ch. 57-277.