---
title: HB 1485. Union County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1485
cite_as: HB 1485, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1485
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1485.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1485/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73774
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 887
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1485.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1485
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:
  - Stan Gunter
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1485/2025
upstream_id: 2128630
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Union County
  - probate court fees
  - local legislation
  - court technology funding
---

# HB 1485. Union County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 1485 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representative Gunter of the 8th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of Union
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 Probate Court of Union 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 $5.00 for the filing of each civil action with the court and not to exceed $5.00 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 Union 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 imaging, scanning, facsimile,
communications, projection, and printing equipment and software; and
(4) Procurement of services or equipment for the conversion of court records and archives
to digital content for public access.
(b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by
the clerk of the probate court, subject to audit by an auditor approved by the governing
authority of Union County, 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 Union 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 local bill for Union County would let the Probate Court charge a technology fee of up to $5 on civil filings and fines to pay for computer and records equipment, ending automatically in 2036.

### Plain-language summary

This bill applies only to the Probate Court of Union County. It authorizes the court's clerk to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of no more than $5.00 on each civil action filed with the court and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court imposes.
The money can only be spent on the court's technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment, and converting paper court records into digital files for public access. The funds must be kept in a separate account that the county government's auditor can review. The fee authority ends on July 1, 2036, and whatever money is left over at that point stays dedicated to general Union County technology purposes.

### What it does

- Authorizes the Probate Court of Union County's clerk to charge a technology fee, capped at $5.00, on each civil case filed and as a surcharge on each fine.
- Limits how the fee money can be spent, restricting it to computer equipment, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
- Requires the fee revenue to be kept in a separate account subject to audit by a Union County-approved auditor.
- Sets an end date of July 1, 2036 for the fee, after which leftover funds must go toward general Union County technology uses.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these new rules.

### Who it affects

People who file civil cases in the Probate Court of Union County, people who are fined by that court, the probate court clerk and judge who set and collect the fee, and Union County's government, which will audit and eventually receive leftover funds.

### Why it matters

Residents and businesses filing civil matters or paying fines in Union County's probate court would pay a small added cost, up to $10 combined in some cases, that funds court technology upgrades like digital record access, rather than relying on general county funds.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the fee amounts (up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 per fine) and limits their use to four specific technology categories.
- Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue be kept in a segregated account and be subject to audit by an auditor approved by Union County's governing authority.
- Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and dedicates any remaining balance to general 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: Stan Gunter
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73774

> The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1485.md?full=1