HB781: HB781 Crawford County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

Crawford County's magistrate court currently has no dedicated fee to pay for its technology needs. This bill authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Crawford County to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of up to $5.00 for each civil case filed and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court imposes. The money collected can only be used for specific technology purposes: buying computer hardware and software, leasing and maintaining computer equipment, purchasing imaging and communications equipment, and converting court records to digital form. The funds must be kept in a separate account and used only for these purposes. The authority to collect the fee ends on July 1, 2035, and any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Crawford County technology uses.

• Authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Crawford County to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil case filed with the court.
• Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $5.00 on each fine assessed by the Magistrate Court of Crawford County.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology needs, including computer hardware and software, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account maintained by the clerk, separate from other court funds.
• Sets July 1, 2035 as the date the fee authority ends, with any leftover money staying dedicated to Crawford County technology uses.

People who file civil lawsuits in the Magistrate Court of Crawford County and people who are fined by that court, since both groups would pay the new fee. The court clerk and Crawford County government are also affected, as they manage and benefit from the collected funds.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a court fine in Crawford County's magistrate court would pay up to $10 more in combined fees. The money is meant to fund court technology upgrades like digitizing records, rather than coming from the county's general budget.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee amounts: up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine, with the chief magistrate setting the exact amount.
• Section 1(a) lists the only permitted uses of the fee, including computer hardware/software, equipment leasing and maintenance, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Section 1(b) requires the fees to be held in a segregated account and used only for the authorized technology purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035, and directs any remaining funds toward general Crawford County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 224
3. 2025-05-13House 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)

• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)Primary sponsor

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

• court fees
• Crawford County
• magistrate court
• local government funding