HB 1084: Madison County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Madison County. It authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Madison County to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of up to $10.00 for each civil action filed with the court and up to $10.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing computer equipment, buying or leasing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment, and converting court records to digital form for public access. The funds must be kept in a separate account by the clerk. The authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2031, and any money left over at that point stays dedicated to general Madison County technology purposes.

• Authorizes the Madison County Probate Court clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $10 per civil case filed with the court.
• Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $10 on each fine assessed by the court, also capped at $10.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a separate, segregated account used only for these authorized purposes.
• Sets the fee authority to expire on July 1, 2031, with leftover money staying dedicated to general Madison County technology uses.

People who file civil cases in the Madison County Probate Court, people who are fined by that court, the probate court clerk who collects and manages the fee, and the probate judge who sets the fee amount.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a fine through Madison County's probate court could pay up to $20 more between the filing fee and fine surcharge, money the court says would go toward computers, digital records, and other technology upgrades rather than the county's general fund.

• Section 1(a) caps the technology fee at $10.00 per civil filing and $10.00 per fine surcharge, with the exact amount set by the probate judge.
• Section 1(a) lists four allowed uses: computer hardware and software, equipment maintenance and installation, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Section 1(b) requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for these authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) ends the fee authority on July 1, 2031, and directs any leftover funds toward general Madison County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 538
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-02-26Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-02-26Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-18Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-17House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)Primary sponsor
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 17, 2026

   163 yea, 1 nay (7 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #513

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 26, 2026

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

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #589

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