HB 1358: Brooks County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Brooks County. It authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court there to charge a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of up to $10.00 for each civil case filed and up to $10.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money collected must be kept in a separate account and can only be spent on the court's technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, audio-visual and imaging equipment, and services to preserve and digitize court records for public access. The bill sets an end date of July 1, 2036, after which the court can no longer collect the fee. Any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Brooks County technology purposes.

• Authorizes the Magistrate Court of Brooks County to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each civil case filed.
• Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $10.00 on each fine assessed by the court, also capped at $10.00.
• Restricts use of the fee money to specific technology purposes such as computer equipment, audio-visual and scanning equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fee proceeds to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk.
• Ends the court's authority to collect the fee on July 1, 2036, with leftover funds staying dedicated to Brooks County technology uses.

People who file civil lawsuits in the Brooks County Magistrate Court and people who are fined by that court would pay the new fee. The court clerk and chief magistrate of Brooks County would administer the fee and its spending.

Civil litigants and people fined in Brooks County's Magistrate Court would pay a small added cost, while the court gains a dedicated funding source for equipment and record digitization instead of relying solely on general county budgets, with the arrangement set to expire in 2036.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee amounts, up to $10.00 per civil filing and up to $10.00 as a fine surcharge, and lists the four categories of technology spending it can fund.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held 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 Brooks County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 561
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-06Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-06Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-03Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-26House Passed/Adopted (House)

• John LaHood (R, HD-175)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 26, 2026

   158 yea, 0 nay (16 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #569

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #639

• Brooks County
• Magistrate Court
• court fees
• local legislation
• court technology