---
title: HB 1504. Dekalb County; State Court; authorize the charge and collection of technology fees
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1504
cite_as: HB 1504, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1504
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1504.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1504/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73870
date: 2026-05-12
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1503.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1505.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1102
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1504.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1504
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-12
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-12
sponsors:
  - Omari Crawford
  - Long Tran
  - Karla Drenner
  - Karen Lupton
  - Billy Mitchell
  - Shea Roberts
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1504/2025
upstream_id: 2128617
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - DeKalb County courts
  - court fees
  - local legislation
  - court administration
  - state court funding
---

# HB 1504. Dekalb County; State Court; authorize the charge and collection of technology fees

## Text

House Bill 1504 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Crawford of the 89th, Tran of the 80th, Drenner of the 85th, Lupton of the
83rd, Mitchell of the 88th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act creating the State Court of DeKalb County, formerly known as the Civil
and Criminal Court of DeKalb County, approved February 14, 1951 (Ga. L. 1951, p. 2401),
as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 3, 2021 (Ga. L. 2021, p. 3624), so as to
authorize the charge and collection of technology fees; to provide for a court administrator;
to revise provisions related to compensation; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
An Act creating the State Court of DeKalb County, formerly known as the Civil and
Criminal Court of DeKalb County, approved February 14, 1951 (Ga. L. 1951, p. 2401), as
amended, particularly by an Act approved May 3, 2021 (Ga. L. 2021, p. 3624), is amended
by adding a new section to read as follows:
"SECTION 11B.3.
(a) The clerk of the State Court of DeKalb County is authorized to charge and collect a
technology fee to be set by majority vote of the judges of the state court in an amount not
to exceed $50.00 for the filing of each civil action with the court. Funds collected pursuant
to this authorization shall be maintained in a segregated account by the clerk of the state
court and shall be used only for the benefit of the state court for purposes authorized in this
section.
(b) The clerk of the Magistrate Court of DeKalb County is authorized to charge and collect
a technology fee to be set by the chief magistrate in an amount not to exceed $50.00 for the
filing of each civil action with the court. Funds collected pursuant to this authorization shall
be maintained in a segregated account by the clerk of the magistrate court and shall be used
only for the benefit of the magistrate court for purposes authorized in this section.
(c) The technology fees authorized by this section shall be used exclusively for the
technological needs of the court collecting the fee and shall be used only for the following
purposes:
(1) Computer hardware and software purchases;
(2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware and software;
(3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of 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."
SECTION 2.
Said Act is further amended by adding a new section to read as follows:
"SECTION 20.1.
(a) The court administrator of the State Court and Magistrate Court of DeKalb County
shall be appointed by and may only be removed by a vote of at least eight judges of the
state court, and the chief magistrate.
(b) Upon the position of court administrator becoming vacant, the chief judge, the
presiding judge of Division B, and the chief magistrate of DeKalb County shall meet and
nominate a person to serve as court administrator. Such nomination must be unanimous and
shall be subject to approval as provided for in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The court administrator on the effective date of this section shall remain in that position
unless he or she resigns or is removed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
(d) The court administrator shall have the authority to appoint and remove such court
administration personnel as he or she deems necessary.
(e) The court administrator shall have primary administrative responsibility for the budget,
fiscal affairs, purchasing, human resources, payroll, facilities management and projects,
information technology, court interpreters, accountability court programs, and government
relations of the State Court and Magistrate Court of DeKalb County, subject to direction
by the judges in a manner consistent with this Act.
(f) If the chief magistrate elects to appoint a separate court administrator to serve the
Magistrate Court of DeKalb County, or if at least eight judges of the state court elect to
appoint a separate court administrator to serve the State Court of DeKalb County, the chief
magistrate shall cease to participate in and shall not be counted regarding the appointment,
removal, and nomination processes established in subsections (a) and (b) of this section."
SECTION 3.
Said Act is further amended by revising Section 21.2 as follows:
"SECTION 21.2.
(a) As used in this section, the term 'State Court of DeKalb County' shall also mean 'State
Court and Magistrate Court of DeKalb County' if applicable to a specific position.
(b) Each judge of the State Court of DeKalb County, the chief magistrate and each
associate magistrate of DeKalb County, the judge of the Probate Court of DeKalb County,
and each judge of the Juvenile Court of DeKalb County shall receive the compensation
provided in the Act providing for the compensation of certain county officers and officials
of DeKalb County, approved March 31, 1976 (Ga. L. 1976, p. 3986), as amended, and shall
also receive the following benefits and supplemental compensation provided to employees
of DeKalb County: health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance,
flexible benefits, retirement benefits, and longevity pay. Each elected judge or elected
judicial officer identified in this subsection shall also receive from DeKalb County a
monthly supplement in a gross amount equal to his or her monthly employee contributions
to any state or county pension plan, less applicable taxes and withholdings.
(c) The court administrator of the State Court of DeKalb County shall be paid an annual
salary equal to 90 percent of the annual salary paid to the court administrator of the
Superior Court of DeKalb County, not including any longevity pay furnished to the court
administrator of the Superior Court of DeKalb County; provided, however, that the annual
salary of an individual serving as court administrator of the State Court of DeKalb County
shall not be reduced while he or she continues to serve in that position.
(d) The clerk of the State Court of DeKalb County shall be paid an annual salary equal
to 90 percent of the annual salary paid to the court administrator of the State Court of
DeKalb County, not including any longevity pay furnished to the court administrator of the
State Court of DeKalb County; provided, however, that the annual salary of an individual
serving as clerk of the State Court of DeKalb County shall not be reduced while he or she
continues to serve in that position.
(e) The marshal and the chief probation officer of the State Court of DeKalb County shall
each be paid an annual salary established by the judges of the State Court of DeKalb
County, subject to funding and administrative approval by the governing authority of
DeKalb County.
(f) Unless provided otherwise in the Act providing for the compensation of certain county
officers and officials of DeKalb County, approved March 31, 1976 (Ga. L. 1976, p. 3986),
as amended, the annual salaries provided in this section shall be paid in equal biweekly
installments from funds of DeKalb County.
(g) The court administrator, the clerk, the marshal, and the chief probation officer of the
State Court of DeKalb County shall be provided all benefits and supplemental
compensation generally available to employees of DeKalb County, including, but not
limited to, health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, flexible
benefits, retirement benefits, longevity pay, cost of living adjustments, incentives, annual
leave, and sick leave."
SECTION 4.
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 1504 lets the State Court and Magistrate Court of DeKalb County charge a technology fee on civil filings, creates a shared court administrator position, and updates pay rules for court officials.

### Plain-language summary

This bill amends the 1951 Act that created the State Court of DeKalb County. It allows the clerk of the state court and the clerk of the magistrate court to each charge a technology fee, up to $50, on every civil case filed, with the exact amount set by the judges or the chief magistrate. That money must be kept in a separate account and spent only on things like computer equipment, software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
The bill also sets rules for a court administrator who oversees budget, staffing, technology, and other operations for both the state court and magistrate court, describing how that person is appointed, removed, and replaced. Finally, it revises how judges, magistrates, the court administrator, the clerk, the marshal, and the chief probation officer of DeKalb County's courts are paid, tying some salaries to a percentage of another official's pay and guaranteeing employee benefits like health insurance and retirement.

### What it does

- Authorizes DeKalb County's state court and magistrate court clerks to each charge up to a $50 technology fee on every civil case filed.
- Requires technology fee money to be kept in a separate account and spent only on computer equipment, software, imaging or printing equipment, and digital record archiving.
- Creates a formal process for appointing and removing a shared court administrator for the State Court and Magistrate Court of DeKalb County, requiring at least eight state court judges plus the chief magistrate to agree.
- Gives the court administrator authority over budget, hiring, payroll, facilities, information technology, and other operations of both courts.
- Sets pay formulas tying the court administrator's and clerk's salaries to a percentage of other officials' pay, and guarantees county employee benefits like health and retirement insurance for several court officials.

### Who it affects

People and businesses filing civil lawsuits in DeKalb County's state court or magistrate court, who would pay the new technology fee. It also affects the judges, chief magistrate, court administrator, clerk, marshal, and chief probation officer of those courts, whose pay and administrative roles are defined by the bill.

### Why it matters

Civil litigants in DeKalb County could face a new fee of up to $50 per filing, with the money earmarked for court technology upgrades like digital record-keeping. The bill also clarifies who controls day-to-day court administration and locks in pay structures for several DeKalb County court officials.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 (new Section 11B.3) authorizes the state court clerk and magistrate court clerk to each charge a technology fee up to $50 per civil filing, set by the judges or chief magistrate.
- Section 1 restricts fee revenue to a segregated account used only for computer hardware, software, imaging or printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
- Section 2 (new Section 20.1) requires the court administrator to be appointed and removable only by a vote of at least eight state court judges plus the chief magistrate, and sets a nomination process for filling vacancies.
- Section 2 lets the state court or magistrate court appoint separate administrators, removing the chief magistrate from the joint appointment process if that happens.
- Section 3 revises Section 21.2 to set the court administrator's salary at 90 percent of the Superior Court's court administrator salary, and the state court clerk's salary at 90 percent of the state court administrator's salary.
- Section 3 guarantees judges, magistrates, and other named officials county employee benefits including health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement, and longevity pay.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-12)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-12 (2026-05-12)
- Sponsors: Omari Crawford, Long Tran, Karla Drenner, Karen Lupton, Billy Mitchell, Shea Roberts
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73870

> The history, votes, and amendments (1,102 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1504.md?full=1