HB 32: Cook County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Cook County, Georgia. It authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Cook County to charge a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of no more than $5.00 for each civil action filed with the court. The money collected can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying computer hardware and software, leasing and maintaining computer hardware, and purchasing, leasing, maintaining, or installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment and software. The fee money must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and is subject to audit by an auditor approved by Cook County's governing authority. The authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2030. Any money left over at that point stays dedicated to general county technology uses, though the probate judge may declare a surplus once a year and hand it over to the county's governing authority.

• Authorizes the Probate Court of Cook County's clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil filing.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to computer hardware and software, equipment leasing and maintenance, and imaging, printing, and communications equipment.
• Requires the fee money to be kept in a separate account subject to audit by a county-approved auditor.
• Ends the court's authority to collect the fee on July 1, 2030 and directs leftover funds toward general county technology uses.
• Allows the probate judge to declare a yearly surplus and transfer it to Cook County's governing authority.

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Cook County, the probate court clerk and judge who set and collect the fee, and Cook County's governing authority, which approves the auditor and may eventually receive surplus funds.

Anyone filing a civil case in Cook County's probate court would pay a small added fee, capped at $5.00, that funds court technology like computers and printers rather than general county spending. The fee automatically expires in 2030 unless further action is taken.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee cap at $5.00 per civil filing and limits spending to hardware, software, and equipment purchases, leases, or maintenance.
• Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue to be kept in a segregated account subject to audit approved by Cook County's governing authority.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2030 and dedicates leftover funds to general county technology uses, with an option for the judge to transfer an annual surplus to the county.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-30Effective Date
2. 2025-04-30Act 29
3. 2025-04-30House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-02-12Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-02-12Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-02-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-02-05House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Chas Cannon (R, HD-172)Primary sponsor
• Jaclyn Ford (R, HD-170)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 5, 2025

   160 yea, 1 nay (14 not voting, 5 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #15

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 12, 2025

   52 yea, 1 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #45

• Cook County government
• probate court fees
• local court funding
• court technology