(a) The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall administer a property distribution program for the disposition of usable property that a state agency deems surplus to its operating needs. If any such property cannot be transferred between state agencies and there is not an immediate need to remove the property from a state facility, the commissioner shall offer the property for sale to municipalities and transit districts. If no municipality or transit district purchases the property, the commissioner shall offer the property for sale to the public. If the commissioner is unable to sell the property to a municipality or transit district or the public, the commissioner may donate the property to a nonprofit organization. The commissioner may dispose of any property that is not transferred, sold or donated. The commissioner shall establish a process for notifying municipalities and nonprofit organizations of their eligibility to receive surplus property under this subsection.

(b) No surplus motor vehicle owned by the state that has been declared to be a constructive total loss pursuant to section 38a-353 shall be offered for sale at an auction conducted under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section to anyone other than any person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance with the provisions of section 14-52 or 14-67l. No surplus motor vehicle owned by the state which has a certificate of title stamped “SALVAGE PARTS ONLY” or which has ten or more major component parts damaged beyond repair shall be offered for sale at an auction conducted under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section to anyone other than any person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance with the provisions of section 14-67l.

(c) The state may lease to a municipality any personal state property that has become obsolete, unserviceable or unusable if the Commissioner of Administrative Services determines that: (1) An emergency situation exists in the municipality that could not be reasonably foreseen; (2) the municipality has no feasible alternative means of obtaining such property within a reasonable time; and (3) the lease would have a minimal fiscal and administrative impact on the state. Such lease shall be for not more than three months, unless extended for an additional three months by the commissioner. The municipality shall be solely liable for any damage to, or any damage or injury resulting from use of, such property and shall indemnify the state against all claims arising out of the use of such property.

(P.A. 96-176, S. 1; P.A. 97-236, S. 21; P.A. 99-161, S. 3, 11; P.A. 00-66, S. 11.)

History: P.A. 97-236 designated previously existing section as Subsec. (a) and added new Subsec. (b) concerning restrictions on the sale at auction of surplus motor vehicles owned by the state; P.A. 99-161 substituted new Subsec. (a) re surplus property distribution program for former Subsec. (a) re pilot surplus property program and added Subsec. (c) authorizing state to lease certain property to a municipality, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-66 made a technical change in Subsec. (b).