---
title: HB 1169. Spalding County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1169
cite_as: HB 1169, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1169
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1169.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1169/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72780
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1168.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 887
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1169.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1169
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
  - Beth Camp
  - Karen Mathiak
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1169/2025
upstream_id: 2106661
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Spalding County
  - probate court fees
  - court technology funding
  - local legislation
---

# HB 1169. Spalding County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 1169 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Camp of the 135th and Mathiak of the 82nd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of
Spalding County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology fee; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
(a) The clerk of the Probate Court of Spalding County is hereby authorized to charge and
collect a technology fee to be set by the judge of the probate court in an amount not to
exceed $15.00 for the filing of each civil action with the court and not to exceed $15.00 as
a surcharge upon each fine assessed by the court. Such technology fees shall be used
exclusively to provide for technological needs of the Probate Court of Spalding County.
Such uses shall include only the following:
(1) Computer hardware, software, and accessory purchases;
(2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware;
(3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of audio-visual, imaging, scanning,
facsimile, communications, projection, recording, and printing equipment and software;
and
(4) Procurement of technical support services.
(b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by
the clerk of the probate court and shall be used only for the purposes authorized in this
section as directed by the chief judge of the court.
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.

A local bill would let Spalding County's Probate Court charge a new technology fee of up to $15 on civil filings and up to $15 as a surcharge on fines, with the money earmarked for court technology.

### Plain-language summary

This bill applies only to Spalding County. It authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Spalding County to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of up to $15.00 for each civil action filed with the court and up to $15.00 as a surcharge added to any fine the court imposes.
The money raised must be used only for the court's technological needs, including buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing that equipment, buying or leasing audio-visual, imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, recording, and printing equipment, and paying for technical support services. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and spent only as directed by the chief judge of the court. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

### What it does

- Authorizes the Probate Court of Spalding County's clerk to charge a technology fee, capped at $15.00, on each civil action filed.
- Authorizes an additional technology surcharge, capped at $15.00, on each fine the court assesses.
- Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purposes: hardware, software, audio-visual and imaging equipment, and technical support services.
- Requires the collected funds to be kept in a segregated account and spent only as directed by the chief judge of the probate court.

### Who it affects

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Spalding County and people who are fined by that court, since both groups would pay the new fee. The court's clerk and chief judge would also be responsible for collecting, segregating, and directing the funds.

### Why it matters

Residents dealing with Spalding County's probate court, whether filing paperwork or paying a fine, would face a small added cost of up to $15 each way. In exchange, the court would gain a dedicated funding source for computers, software, and technical support.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the fee amount, capped at $15.00 for civil filings and $15.00 as a fine surcharge, with the exact amount set by the probate judge.
- Section 1(a) lists the four allowed uses of the fee: computer purchases, hardware maintenance, audio-visual and related equipment, and technical support services.
- Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account controlled by the clerk and spent only as the chief judge directs.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Beth Camp, Karen Mathiak
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72780

> The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1169.md?full=1