SB345: SB345 Magistrate Court of Crawford County; the assessment and collection of a technology fee; authorize

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Crawford County to charge a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of no more than $5.00 for each civil action filed with the court and no more than $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money collected can only go toward specific technology needs: computer hardware and software, leasing and maintaining computer equipment, imaging and communications equipment, and converting court records to digital form for public access. The funds must be kept in a separate account by the court clerk and used only for those approved purposes. The bill sets an end date: the court's authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2035. Any money left in the account at that point would stay dedicated to general technology uses for Crawford County rather than being refunded or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Crawford County to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purposes such as computer hardware, software, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the court clerk to keep collected fees in a separate, segregated account used only for the authorized purposes.
• Ends the court's authority to collect the fee on July 1, 2035, and directs any leftover funds toward general Crawford County technology uses.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authorization.

People who file civil actions in the Magistrate Court of Crawford County and people who are fined by that court, since both groups would pay the new fee. The Crawford County court system and its clerk also gain new fee collection and accounting duties.

Civil litigants and people fined in Crawford County's magistrate court would pay a small added cost, up to $10 combined, that funds court technology upgrades like digital record access. The 2035 sunset means the fee is temporary rather than a permanent addition to court costs.

• Section 1(a) sets the maximum technology fee at $5.00 per civil filing and $5.00 per fine surcharge, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
• Section 1(a) lists the only allowed uses: computer hardware and software purchases, leasing and maintaining computer equipment, imaging/scanning/communications equipment, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue to be kept in a segregated account and used only for the authorized technology purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035, with leftover funds staying dedicated to general Crawford County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-30Effective Date 2025-04-30
2. 2025-04-30Act 40
3. 2025-04-30Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2025-04-02House Third Readers (House)
7. 2025-04-02House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2025-03-31House Second Readers (House)

• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)Primary sponsor
• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

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

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #291

2. PassedHouse voteApril 2, 2025

   168 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 5 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #377

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