HB596: HB596 Colquitt County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Colquitt County. It authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Colquitt County to charge and collect a $10 technology fee on top of every fine issued for traffic violations under Title 40 of Georgia law (O.C.G.A.), which covers motor vehicles and traffic offenses. The money collected must be kept in a separate account and can only be spent on specific technology needs for the State Court and the Sheriff of Colquitt County, such as buying or maintaining computer hardware and software, audio-visual and recording equipment, and digitizing court or sheriff's records for public access. The bill sets an end date: the authority to collect this fee terminates on July 1, 2035. Any money left over at that point stays dedicated to Colquitt County's general technology needs rather than being returned or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Colquitt County to add a $10 surcharge to fines for Title 40 traffic violations.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to technology needs of the State Court and the Sheriff of Colquitt County, listing four specific allowed categories of spending.
• Requires the collected funds to be kept in a segregated account managed by the clerk of the state court.
• Sets a termination date of July 1, 2035 for the fee, with any leftover money staying dedicated to Colquitt County technology needs.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new authorization.

Drivers cited for traffic violations in Colquitt County, who would pay the added $10 fee on their fines; the State Court of Colquitt County and its clerk, who administer the fee; and the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office, which shares in the technology funding.

Anyone fined for a traffic violation in Colquitt County would pay an extra $10, and that money would fund specific technology upgrades for the local state court and sheriff's office, such as computers, recording equipment, and digital records access, until the fee expires in 2035.

• Section 1(a) authorizes a $10 technology fee as a surcharge on fines for Title 40 traffic violations in the State Court of Colquitt County.
• Section 1(a) limits fee spending to four categories: computer hardware and software, leasing and maintenance of such equipment, audio-visual and imaging equipment, and digitizing court or sheriff records for public access.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account by the clerk of the state court, used only for the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and dedicates any remaining funds to general Colquitt County technology needs.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 153
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)

• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)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
• Colquitt County
• traffic fines
• law enforcement technology