HB837: HB837 Richmond County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Richmond County to charge and collect a technology fee, capped at $10.00, on each civil action filed with the court. The money must go into a separate account and can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying computer hardware and software, leasing and maintaining that equipment, buying or leasing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment, and paying for services to preserve and digitize court records for public access. The judge of the probate court sets the exact fee amount, up to the $10 cap. The law authorizing this fee ends on July 1, 2035. Any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Richmond County technology purposes rather than being returned or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Richmond County to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each civil action filed with the court.
• Restricts use of the fee money to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance, and records digitization for the probate court.
• Requires the fee revenue to be kept in a separate, segregated account managed by the clerk of the probate court.
• Sets the fee authority to expire on July 1, 2035, after which leftover funds stay dedicated to Richmond County technology uses.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authorization.

People and businesses who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Richmond County, the court's clerk and judge, who set and collect the fee, and Richmond County government, which benefits from the technology funding and any leftover money after 2035.

Anyone filing a civil case in Richmond County's probate court would pay up to an extra $10.00, money the court could use to upgrade computers, scanners, and record-keeping systems. The fee is not open ended: it is capped, restricted to specific uses, and set to expire in 2035.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the clerk to charge a technology fee, set by the probate judge, not to exceed $10.00 per civil action filed.
• Section 1(a) lists the only allowed uses: computer hardware and software, related equipment leasing and maintenance, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue to be kept in a segregated account used only for the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and dedicates any remaining funds to general Richmond County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-05-13
2. 2025-05-13Act 237
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-08House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-31Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted (House)

• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)Primary sponsor
• Karlton Howard (D, HD-129)
• Lynn Heffner (D, HD-130)
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (10 not voting, 5 absent)

   Local Calendar Without Hbs 851 & 852: House Vote #342

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   55 yea, 1 nay

   Supplemental Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #400

• court fees
• Richmond County
• probate court
• local legislation
• court technology