HB 1548: Clarkesville, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Clarkesville to add a technology fee, capped at $10, as a surcharge on top of criminal and quasi-criminal fines that people pay to the court. The judge of the municipal court sets the exact amount within that limit. The money collected can only be used for specific technology needs of the municipal court and the city's police department, such as buying, leasing, or maintaining computer hardware and software, and equipment for case management, data storage, imaging, scanning, communications, and printing. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer, and are subject to audit by an approved city auditor. The city's information technology department can be reimbursed from these funds for services it provides to the court or police.

• Authorizes the Municipal Court of the City of Clarkesville to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purposes for the municipal court and city police department, such as computer hardware, software, and case management or communications equipment.
• Requires the fee money to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer.
• Subjects the segregated technology fee account to audit by an auditor approved by the City of Clarkesville's governing authority.
• Allows the funds to be used to reimburse the city's information technology department for services it provides to the court or police department.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authorization.

People who are fined by the Municipal Court of the City of Clarkesville for criminal or quasi-criminal offenses would pay the new fee. The city's municipal court clerk, chief financial officer, police department, and information technology department are also directly involved in collecting, managing, and using the funds.

Anyone paying a fine in Clarkesville's municipal court would owe up to $10 more per fine, funding specific technology upgrades for the court and police department. The requirement to segregate and audit the funds is meant to ensure the money is spent only on the technology purposes the bill lists.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the court clerk to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the judge, not exceeding $10.00 per criminal and quasi-criminal fine.
• Section 1(a) limits fee use to two categories: computer hardware and software purchases, leases, maintenance, and installation, and equipment or software for case management, data storage, imaging, scanning, communications, and printing.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds be kept in a segregated account managed jointly by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer, subject to audit by a city-approved auditor.
• Section 1(b) permits using the funds to reimburse the city's information technology department for services to the court or police department.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date
2. 2026-05-11Act 588
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-23House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Victor Anderson (R, HD-10)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 23, 2026

   158 yea, 0 nay (12 not voting, 6 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #739

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   45 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 4 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #873

• municipal court fees
• Clarkesville Georgia
• court technology funding
• local government fees