HB 1140: Ben Hill County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to the Magistrate Court of Ben Hill County. It authorizes the court clerk, at an amount set by the chief magistrate, to charge up to $5.00 when someone files a civil action and to add up to $5.00 as a surcharge on any fine the court assesses. The money collected can only be used for the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining imaging and communications equipment, or digitizing court records 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, 2036, and any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Ben Hill County technology uses rather than being refunded or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the Ben Hill County Magistrate Court clerk 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 the court assesses, also capped at $5.00.
• Limits use of the collected fees to specific technology purposes: computer equipment, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for these authorized purposes.
• Ends the court's authority to collect the fee on July 1, 2036, with leftover funds dedicated to general county technology uses.

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

Anyone filing a small claims or other civil case, or paying a court fine, in Ben Hill County's Magistrate Court would pay a small added cost, up to $10 total between the filing fee and surcharge. In exchange, the court would have a dedicated funding source for computers, digital records, and related equipment through 2036.

• Section 1(a) sets the technology fee at up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on fines, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
• Section 1(a) lists the only allowed uses: computer hardware and software, equipment leasing and maintenance, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Section 1(b) requires the clerk to keep collected fees in a segregated account used solely for these purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee-collection authority on July 1, 2036, and dedicates any remaining balance to general Ben Hill County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 541
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-02-24Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-02-24Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-18Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-17House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)Primary sponsor
• Noel Williams (R, HD-148)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 17, 2026

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

   Local Calendar : House Vote #513

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 24, 2026

   53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #571

• court fees
• Ben Hill County
• magistrate court
• local legislation
• court technology