HB39: HB39 Habersham County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of technology fee

25 LC 47 3126/AP House Bill 39 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Anderson of the 10th and Erwin of the 32nd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To authorize the assessment, collection, and distribution of a technology fee by the1 Magistrate Court of Habersham County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology2 fee; to provide for the maintenance of such technology fee fund s; to provide for the3 termination of such technology fee and dedication of residual funds to technology uses; to4 provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal a specific Act; to repeal5 conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 (a) The clerk of the Magistrate Court of Habersham County shall be entitled to charge and9 collect a technology fee to be set by the chief magistrate in an amount not to exceed $10.0010 for the filing of each civil action or proceeding with the court and not to exceed $10.00 as11 a surcharge upon each fine assessed by the court. Such technol ogy fees shall be used12 exclusively to provide for the technological needs of the Magis trate Court of Habersham13 County. Such uses shall include only the following:14 (1) Computer hardware and software purchases;15 (2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware and software;16 H. B. 39 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3126/AP (3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of audio-vi sual, imaging, scanning,17 facsimile, communications, recording, projection, and printing equipment and software;18 (4) Purchase or lease of data storage;19 (5) Purchase of local or remote technological support services and equipment which may20 be used to connect to cellular radio systems, remote internet, and any other remote access21 system;22 (6) Lease, purchase, maintenance, and installation of platform s, user agreements, and23 licenses for online, remote or cloud based document storage platforms; and24 (7) Cybersecurity insurance.25 (b) The funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account26 by the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Habersham County and sh all be used only for the27 purposes authorized in this section.28 (c) The authority to assess a technology fee pursuant to this section shall terminate on July 1,29 2044, and any funds remaining in the fund established by this section shall remain dedicated30 to general Habersham County technology uses.31 SECTION 2.32 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law33 without such approval.34 SECTION 3.35 An Act to authorize the assessment, collection, and distribution of a technology fee by the36 Magistrate Court of Habersham County, approved April 22, 2024 (Ga. L. 2024, p. 3614), is37 hereby repealed in its entirety.38 SECTION 4.39 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.40 H. B. 39 - 2 -