HB603: HB603 Banks County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Banks County to charge and collect a new technology fee. The fee, set by the probate judge, can be up to $5.00 for each civil action filed with the court and up to $5.00 as an added surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only be used for specific technology needs of the court, such as buying or maintaining computer hardware and software, imaging and printing equipment, and converting paper court records into digital files for public access. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and spent only on these approved purposes. The bill sets July 1, 2035 as the date the county's authority to collect this fee ends. Any money left in the account after that date must stay dedicated to general Banks County technology uses rather than being spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the Probate Court of Banks County to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil action filed with the court.
• Allows a separate surcharge of up to $5.00 on each fine assessed by the court, also capped at $5.00.
• Restricts use of the fee money to computer equipment, software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Requires the collected fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for these approved technology purposes.
• Sets the fee's authority to expire on July 1, 2035, with any leftover money staying dedicated to general Banks County technology uses.

People who file civil cases in the Probate Court of Banks County, people who are fined by that court, the probate court clerk who collects and manages the fee, and Banks County government, which benefits from the dedicated technology funding.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a fine in the Banks County Probate Court would pay a small added cost, up to $10 combined in some cases, that funds court technology upgrades like digital record conversion, rather than relying on the county's general budget for those improvements.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the clerk to charge up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 as a fine surcharge, with the exact amount set by the probate judge.
• Section 1(a) limits use of the fee revenue to four categories: computer purchases, hardware maintenance, imaging/printing/communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Section 1(b) requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035, and directs any remaining funds to general Banks County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 154
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-13Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-13Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-04House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   172 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #148

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 13, 2025

   48 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #229

• local legislation
• court fees
• Banks County
• probate court
• court technology