---
title: HB 1021. Courts; increase amount of funds the authority is authorized to retain for administrative costs
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1021
cite_as: HB 1021, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1021
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1021.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1021/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72351
date: 2026-02-20
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 189
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1021.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1021
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-27
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported
sponsors:
- Lauren McDonald
- Rob Leverett
- Joseph Gullett
- Mary Oliver
- Stacey Evans
- Matt Reeves
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1021/2025
upstream_id: 2095295
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- court fees
- state budget
- victim assistance funding
- courts administration
---
# HB 1021. Courts; increase amount of funds the authority is authorized to retain for administrative costs
## Text
House Bill 1021
By: Representatives McDonald III of the 26th, Leverett of the 123rd, Gullett of the 19th, Oliver
of the 84th, Evans of the 57th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 15-21A-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
retention of funds by authority, remittance to general fund of state treasury, and accumulation
of interest, so as to increase the amount of funds the authority is authorized to retain for
administrative costs; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 15-21A-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to retention of
funds by authority, remittance to general fund of state treasury, and accumulation of interest,
is amended by revising subsection (a) as follows:
"(a) The authority shall be entitled to retain from the funds received by the authority under
Code Sections 15-21A-3 and 15-21A-6 an amount equal to 1 percent of such funds, but in
no event more than $500,000.00 $1 million per fiscal year, to reimburse the authority for
its costs in administering this chapter. The net proceeds, after deduction of such
administrative costs, from the funds received by the authority under Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted by the authority as follows:
(1) The net proceeds received pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted to the general fund of the state treasury;
(2) The net proceeds received pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted to the general fund of the state treasury;
(3) The net proceeds received pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted to the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Board
to be deposited into the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund;
(4) The net proceeds received pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted to the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund
Commission for deposit into the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund;
(5) The net proceeds received pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted to the general fund of the state treasury; and
(6) The net proceeds received pursuant to paragraph (6) of subsection (b) of Code
Section 15-21A-3 shall be remitted pursuant to Code Section 15-21-132 for local victim
assistance."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1021 would raise the annual cap on administrative funds that the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority can keep from court fee collections, from $500,000 to $1 million per fiscal year.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-5) lets a state authority that collects certain court fines and fees keep a small share of that money each year to cover its own administrative costs, with the rest sent on to the state's general fund and to programs like the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund and the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund.
Currently the authority can keep 1 percent of the funds it collects, but no more than $500,000 in a fiscal year, for those administrative costs. This bill would raise that dollar cap to $1 million per fiscal year, while keeping the 1 percent limit and all the other distribution rules the same. The bill does not change how the remaining, non-administrative money is divided among the state treasury and the various trust funds and victim programs.
### What it does
- Raises the yearly cap on administrative funds the authority may retain from $500,000 to $1 million, while keeping the existing 1 percent limit in place.
- Leaves unchanged the rule that net proceeds after administrative costs go to the state general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance programs.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new cap.
### Who it affects
The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which administers collection of certain court fees and fines, and the state programs that rely on the money it passes through, including the state general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance programs.
### Why it matters
A higher cap means the authority could keep more money each year to cover its own operating costs before sending the rest along. That could mean somewhat less money flowing to the general fund and victim and injury trust funds if the authority's administrative costs actually rise to use the new cap.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-5(a) to change the administrative cost cap from $500,000 to $1 million per fiscal year.
- Section 1 keeps the existing rule that the authority may retain no more than 1 percent of funds received under Code Sections 15-21A-3 and 15-21A-6.
- Section 1 leaves unchanged the distribution of remaining net proceeds among the general fund, the Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance under Code Section 15-21-132.
- Section 2 repeals any laws in conflict with the Act.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-27)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported (2026-02-20)
- Sponsors: Lauren McDonald, Rob Leverett, Joseph Gullett, Mary Oliver, Stacey Evans, Matt Reeves
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72351
> The history, votes, and amendments (189 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1021.md?full=1