---
title: HB 1541. Ware County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1541
cite_as: HB 1541, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1541
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1541.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1541/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74034
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: 898
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1541.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1541
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/HB1541/2025
upstream_id: 2133338
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Ware County
  - local court fees
  - magistrate court
  - county government funding
---

# HB 1541. Ware County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 1541 (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 Magistrate 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 Magistrate Court of Ware 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 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 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 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 House bill would let the Magistrate Court of Ware County charge a technology fee of up to $10 on civil filings and up to $10 as a surcharge on court fines, with the fee ending in 2036.

### Plain-language summary

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Ware County to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of no more than $10 for filing each civil action and no more than $10 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only be used for the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing that equipment, and purchasing or maintaining imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and used only for these approved purposes. The bill sets an end date: the authority to collect the fee terminates on July 1, 2036. Any money left in the account at that point would stay dedicated to general Ware County technology uses, decided by the Ware County Board of Commissioners.

### What it does

- Authorizes the Magistrate Court of Ware County's clerk to charge up to $10 per civil filing as a technology fee.
- Authorizes a separate surcharge of up to $10 on each fine assessed by the court, also for technology purposes.
- Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purchases: computer hardware and software, related maintenance and installation, and imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
- Requires the collected funds to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk.
- Sets July 1, 2036 as the date the fee authority ends, with leftover funds going to general Ware County technology uses at the Board of Commissioners' discretion.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this Act.

### Who it affects

People who file civil actions in the Magistrate Court of Ware County and people who are fined by that court, since both groups may pay the new fee or surcharge. The court clerk, the chief magistrate, and the Ware County Board of Commissioners also gain new roles in setting, collecting, and eventually reallocating the funds.

### Why it matters

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a court fine in Ware County's Magistrate Court could pay up to $20 more, split between a filing fee and a fine surcharge. The money is earmarked for court technology upgrades rather than general county spending, at least until the fee expires in 2036.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the maximum fee amounts at $10 for civil filings and $10 as a surcharge on fines, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
- Section 1(a) limits fee use to three categories: computer hardware and software, their lease/maintenance/installation, and imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
- Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account controlled by the clerk of the magistrate court.
- Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036, and directs any remaining funds to general Ware County technology uses as decided by the county commissioners.
- Section 2 repeals 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/74034

> The history, votes, and amendments (898 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1541.md?full=1