---
title: HB 1297. Pierce County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1297
cite_as: HB 1297, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1297
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1297.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1297/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73174
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/hb1296.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1298.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 886
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1297.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1297
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:
  - Steven Meeks
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1297/2025
upstream_id: 2116221
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Pierce County
  - court fees
  - magistrate court
  - local government funding
---

# HB 1297. Pierce County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 1297 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representative Meeks of the 178th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Magistrate Court of
Pierce County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology fee; to provide for the
termination of such technology fee and dedication of residual funds; 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 Magistrate Court of Pierce County is hereby authorized to charge and
collect a technology fee to be set by the chief magistrate in an amount not to exceed $10.00
for the filing of each civil action with the court and not to exceed $10.00 as a surcharge upon
each fine assessed by the court. Such technology fees shall be used exclusively to provide
for technological needs of the Magistrate Court of Pierce County. Such uses shall include
only the following:
(1) Computer hardware and software purchases;
(2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware and software;
(3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of audio-visual imaging, scanning,
facsimile, communications, projection, and printing equipment and software; and
(4) Procurement of services and equipment for the conservation of court records and
archiving the same to digital contents for public access.
(b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by
the clerk of the magistrate court and shall be used only for the purposes authorized in this
section.
(c) The authority to assess the technology fee pursuant to this Act shall terminate on
July 1, 2036, and any residual funds remaining in the account established by subsection (b)
of this section shall remain dedicated to general Pierce County technology uses.
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 House bill would let the Magistrate Court of Pierce County charge a technology fee of up to $10 on civil filings and up to $10 on fines, with the fee authority ending in 2036.

### Plain-language summary

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Pierce County to charge and collect a new technology fee. The chief magistrate would set the fee amount, but it could not exceed $10 for filing a civil action and could not exceed $10 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses.
The money collected could only be used for specific technology purposes: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, buying or leasing audio-visual and imaging equipment, and preserving court records digitally. The funds must be kept in a separate account by the clerk. The bill sets an end date: the authority to charge this fee terminates on July 1, 2036, and any money left in the account at that point would stay dedicated to general Pierce County technology uses.

### What it does

- Authorizes the Magistrate Court of Pierce County's clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $10 on each civil case filing.
- Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $10 on every fine assessed by the court, also capped at $10.
- Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance, and digital records preservation for the court.
- Requires the fees to be kept in a separate, segregated account maintained by the court clerk.
- Sets July 1, 2036 as the date the fee authority ends, with leftover funds redirected to general Pierce County technology uses.

### Who it affects

People who file civil lawsuits in the Magistrate Court of Pierce County and people who are fined by that court would pay the new fee. The court clerk and chief magistrate would administer it, and Pierce County's technology budget would benefit from any leftover funds after 2036.

### Why it matters

Residents and businesses using Pierce County's magistrate court for civil disputes or facing fines would pay a small additional cost, up to $20 combined in some cases, that would fund court technology upgrades like digital record keeping and equipment instead of coming from the general county budget.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the fee structure: up to $10 per civil filing and up to $10 surcharge per fine, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
- Section 1(a) limits fee use to four categories: computer hardware/software, related maintenance and installation, audio-visual and printing equipment, and digital archiving of court records.
- Section 1(b) requires the clerk to keep collected funds in a segregated account used only for the authorized purposes.
- Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and dedicates any remaining balance to general Pierce County technology uses.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Steven Meeks
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73174

> The history, votes, and amendments (886 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1297.md?full=1