---
title: HB 1170. Spalding County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1170
cite_as: HB 1170, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1170
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1170.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1170/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72781
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/hb1169.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1171.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 887
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1170.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1170
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/HB1170/2025
upstream_id: 2106635
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - court fees
  - Spalding County
  - local legislation
  - court technology
  - civil filing fees
---

# HB 1170. Spalding County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 1170 (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 State 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 State Court of Spalding County is hereby authorized to charge and
collect a technology fee to be set by the judge of the state 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 State 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 state 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.

House Bill 1170 lets the State Court of Spalding County charge a new technology fee of up to $15 on civil filings and up to $15 as a surcharge on fines, with the money set aside for court technology.

### Plain-language summary

This bill applies only to the State Court of Spalding County. It authorizes the court clerk to charge a technology fee, set by the state court judge, of no more than $15.00 for each civil case filed with the court. It also allows a separate surcharge of up to $15.00 on every fine the court assesses.

The money collected must be kept in a separate, segregated account and can only be spent on the court's technology needs: 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 software, and paying for technical support services. The chief judge of the court directs how the funds are used within those limits. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

### What it does

- Authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Spalding County to charge a technology fee of up to $15.00 on each civil case filed.
- Allows a separate surcharge of up to $15.00 to be added to each fine the court assesses.
- Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purposes such as computer hardware, software, audio-visual equipment, and technical support.
- Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account managed by the clerk and used as directed by the chief judge.

### Who it affects

People who file civil lawsuits in the State Court of Spalding County, people who are fined by that court, and the court's clerk and chief judge, who will collect, manage, and direct spending of the new fee revenue.

### Why it matters

Litigants and people fined in Spalding County's state court would pay a new, capped fee that funds courtroom technology like computers, recording equipment, and technical support, potentially improving court operations without drawing on general county tax revenue.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the technology fee cap at $15.00 per civil filing and a separate $15.00 cap as a surcharge on each fine, with the amount set by the state court judge.
- Section 1(a) lists the four allowed uses of the fee: computer hardware/software purchases, hardware lease/maintenance/installation, audio-visual and related equipment purchases, and technical support services.
- Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account by the clerk and spent only as directed by the chief judge.
- 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/72781

> The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1170.md?full=1