---
title: HB 1539. Ware County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1539
cite_as: HB 1539, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1539
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1539.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1539/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74032
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 887
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1539.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1539
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:
  - James Burchett
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1539/2025
upstream_id: 2133407
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Ware County
  - probate court fees
  - local government funding
  - court technology
---

# HB 1539. Ware County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 1539 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representative Burchett of the 176th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of Ware
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 Ware 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 $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 Probate Court of Ware County. Such
uses shall include only the following:
(1) Computer hardware and software purchases;
(2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware and software; and
(3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of imaging, scanning, facsimile,
communications, projection, and printing equipment and software.
(b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by
the clerk of the probate 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 Ware County technology uses at the
discretion of the Ware County Board of Commissioners.
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 Ware County would let the Probate Court charge up to $10 for filing a civil case and up to $10 as a surcharge on fines, with the money used only for court technology through 2036.

### Plain-language summary

This bill applies only to Ware County. It authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Ware County to charge a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of no more than $10 for each civil action filed and no more than $10 as a surcharge added to each fine the court assesses.
The money collected must go into a separate account and can only pay for the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, and buying, leasing, maintaining, or installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment. The authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2036. Any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Ware County technology purposes, decided by the Ware County Board of Commissioners.

### What it does

- Authorizes the Probate Court of Ware County's clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $10 on each civil filing.
- Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $10 on each fine assessed by the Probate Court of Ware County.
- Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance, and installation for the court.
- Requires the fees to be kept in a separate, segregated account managed by the clerk.
- Ends the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and directs leftover funds to general county technology uses chosen by the Ware County Board of Commissioners.

### Who it affects

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Ware County or who are fined by that court, the court's clerk and judge, and the Ware County Board of Commissioners, which decides how leftover technology funds are used after 2036.

### Why it matters

People filing cases or paying fines in Ware County's Probate Court could pay a small additional fee, capped at $10 each, that funds the court's computers and equipment. The arrangement is temporary, ending in 2036, after which the county commission controls any remaining money.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the fee amounts, up to $10 per civil filing and up to $10 as a surcharge on fines, with the exact amount set by the probate judge.
- Section 1(a) limits fee use to computer hardware and software purchases, leases, maintenance, installation, and related office and imaging equipment.
- Section 1(b) requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for the authorized technology purposes.
- Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and gives the Ware County Board of Commissioners discretion over any remaining funds for general county technology uses.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-12)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-12 (2026-05-12)
- Sponsors: James Burchett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74032

> The history, votes, and amendments (887 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1539.md?full=1