The secretary, notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, is hereby authorized to transfer equipment, livestock and supplies between the several institutions within the department without reimbursement to the transferring institution excepting, however, any such equipment donated by organizations for the sole use of such transferring institutions. Whenever transfers of capital items are made between institutions of the department, notice thereof shall be given to the director of the department of enterprise services accompanied by a full description of such items with inventory numbers, if any.