HB774: HB774 Dekalb County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of DeKalb County to charge a technology fee, capped at $5.00, on each civil action filed with the court. The judge of the probate court would set the exact amount. The fee money could only be spent on specific technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection and printing equipment, and paying for services to preserve court records and convert them to digital form for public access. The funds would have to be kept in a separate account by the clerk and used only for these purposes. The authority to collect the fee ends on July 1, 2035. Any money left in the account at that point would stay dedicated to general DeKalb County technology uses rather than being spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the DeKalb County Probate Court clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil filing.
• Restricts use of the fee money to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance and record digitization for the probate court.
• Requires the fee revenue to be kept in a separate, segregated account managed by the clerk.
• Sets an end date of July 1, 2035 for the county's authority to collect the fee.
• Directs any unspent funds remaining after that date to go toward general DeKalb County technology uses.

People who file civil actions in the DeKalb County Probate Court, the court's clerk and judge who administer the fee, and DeKalb County's technology budget, which would receive any leftover funds after the fee authority ends.

Anyone filing a civil case in DeKalb County's Probate Court could pay up to an extra $5.00, money meant to fund court computers, records digitization and related equipment rather than general county operations, with the arrangement automatically expiring in 2035 unless renewed.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee cap at $5.00 per civil filing and lists the four allowed technology uses, including hardware and software, imaging and communications equipment, and digital archiving of court records.
• Section 1(b) requires fee revenue to be kept in a segregated account and spent only on the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and directs any leftover funds to general DeKalb County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-30Effective Date 2025-04-30
2. 2025-04-30Act 35
3. 2025-04-30House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)Primary sponsor
• Karla Drenner (D, HD-085)
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)
• Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)
• Mary Oliver (D, HD-084)
• Doreen Carter (D, HD-093)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2025

   164 yea, 0 nay (12 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #317

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   49 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #339

• DeKalb County
• court fees
• probate court
• local government funding