HB 1996 Summary

• Amends procedures for sheriff's offices and campus police agencies to dispose of unclaimed property held for at least six (6) months that is no longer needed as evidence.

• Eliminates first-class mail notice requirement for inmate commissary property valued under $50.00, while maintaining postal notice for other property owners at least ten (10) days before court hearings.

• Authorizes destruction, donation to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, or public sale of personal property, with agencies required to submit disposition reports to district court judges within ten (10) days.

• Allows donation of property valued under $500.00 without public sale if no owner claims it at court hearing, and establishes special funds from sale proceeds for equipment, training, and crime prevention expenses.

• Takes effect November 1, 2025.