HB591: HB591 Cleveland, City of; Municipal Court; charge a technology fee

This bill applies only to the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland, Georgia. It allows the court clerk to add a technology fee, on top of any fine, to every criminal and quasi-criminal case where a fine is paid. The judge sets the exact fee amount, but it cannot exceed $10.00 per fine. The money collected can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying, leasing, maintaining, and installing computer hardware and software, as well as equipment like scanners, fax machines, printers, projectors, and communications tools for the court and the city's police department. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the city's chief financial officer and the clerk of court, and can only be spent with the city manager's approval. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws.

• Authorizes the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland to charge a technology fee, capped at $10.00, added to each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid.
• Lets the court's judge set the exact fee amount within that $10.00 limit.
• Restricts use of the fee money to buying, leasing, maintaining, and installing computer hardware, software, and related office and communications equipment for the court and police department.
• Requires the collected funds to be kept in a separate account managed by the city's chief financial officer and clerk of court, spent only with the city manager's approval.
• Allows the funds to be used to reimburse the city's information technology department for services it provides to the court or police department.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authority.

People who pay criminal or quasi-criminal fines in the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland, Georgia, along with the court's clerk, the city's chief financial officer, city manager, police department, and information technology department, who manage or benefit from the fee revenue.

Anyone fined in this specific municipal court would pay up to $10 more per case, with the money set aside for updating court and police technology like computers, scanners, and communication equipment rather than going into the city's general fund.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland to charge a technology fee as a surcharge on criminal and quasi-criminal fines, capped at $10.00 and set by the judge.
• Section 1(b) limits use of the fee to purchasing, leasing, maintaining, and installing computer hardware and software, and equipment for imaging, scanning, faxing, communications, projection, and printing for the court and police department.
• Section 1(c) requires the funds to be kept in a segregated account by the city's chief financial officer and clerk of court, spent only for authorized purposes with the city manager's direction, and allows reimbursement of the city's IT department.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 150
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-10Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-10Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-02-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)Primary sponsor
• Will Wade (R, HD-009)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 27, 2025

   169 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 6 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #99

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 10, 2025

   43 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 9 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #221

• municipal courts
• court fees
• local government funding
• Cleveland Georgia
• police technology