HB623: HB623 Carroll County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Carroll County. It authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Carroll County to charge and collect a technology fee, capped at $10.00, on each civil action filed with the court. The judge of the probate court sets the exact amount up to that cap. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs of the court, such as computer hardware and software, audio-visual and imaging equipment, remote and cloud storage services, cybersecurity, and technology training for court staff. Collected fees must be kept in a separate account and used only for these purposes. The authority to charge the fee ends on July 1, 2035, and whatever money is left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Carroll County technology uses. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws.

• Authorizes the Probate Court of Carroll County to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each civil filing.
• Lets the probate court judge set the exact fee amount within that $10.00 cap.
• Restricts use of the fee money to a specific list of technology purchases, services, and training for the court.
• Requires the clerk to keep the collected fees in a segregated account used only for the authorized purposes.
• Ends the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and directs any leftover money toward general Carroll County technology uses.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these new rules.

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Carroll County, since they would pay the new fee, along with the clerk and judge of that court, who set and manage the fee, and Carroll County's local government, which would eventually receive any unspent funds.

Anyone filing a civil case in Carroll County's probate court would pay up to an extra $10.00 per filing, funding computers, software, digital records storage, and cybersecurity for the court. The fee is temporary, expiring in 2035, after which leftover funds go to county technology needs.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Carroll County to charge a technology fee, capped at $10.00 per civil filing, set by the probate judge.
• Section 1(a)(1)-(6) lists allowed uses: computer hardware and software, audio-visual and communications equipment, remote technology support, digital record archiving and cybersecurity services, and technology training.
• Section 1(b) requires fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for the listed technology purposes.
• Section 1(c) sets the fee authority to expire on July 1, 2035, with any remaining funds staying dedicated to general Carroll County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 207
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-21Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-11Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-10House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)Primary sponsor
• David Huddleston (R, HD-072)
• Jutt Howard (R, HD-071)
• Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 10, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (8 not voting, 7 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #270

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 21, 2025

   53 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #265

• Carroll County
• probate court
• court fees
• local government technology