--- title: HB 32. Cook County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb32 cite_as: HB 32, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb32 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb32.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb32/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69312 date: 2025-04-30 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hb31.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb33.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 880 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb32.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 32 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-04-30 last_action: Effective Date 2025-04-30 sponsors: - Charles Cannon - Jaclyn Ford text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB32/2025 upstream_id: 1916686 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - court fees - Cook County - probate court - local government funding --- # HB 32. Cook County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee ## Text 25 LC 47 3116/AP House Bill 32 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Cannon of the 172nd and Ford of the 170th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of Cook1 County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology fee; to provide for the termination2 of such technology fee and dedication of residual funds; to pro vide for related matters; to3 repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 (a) The clerk of the Probate Court of Cook County is hereby authorized to charge and collect7 a technology fee to be set by the judge of the probate court in an amount not to exceed $5.008 for the filing of each civil action with the court. Such techn ology fees shall be used9 exclusively to provide for technological needs of the Probate Court of Cook County. Such10 uses shall include only the following:11 (1) Computer hardware and software purchases;12 (2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware; and13 (3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of imaging, scanning, facsimile,14 communications, projection, and printing equipment and software.15 H. B. 32 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3116/AP (b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by16 the clerk of the probate court, subject to audit by an auditor approved by the governing17 authority of Cook County, and shall be used only for the purposes authorized in this section.18 (c) The authority to assess the technology fee pursuant to thi s Act shall terminate on19 July 1, 2030, and any residual funds remaining in the account established by subsection (b)20 of this section shall remain dedicated to general Cook County t echnology uses; provided,21 however, that, if the Probate Court of Cook County determines there to be a surplus of such22 funds, the judge of said court may declare a surplus once a year and transfer such surplus to23 the governing authority of Cook County.24 SECTION 2.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 H. B. 32 - 2 - ## 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 32 lets Cook County's Probate Court charge up to a $5 technology fee on each civil case filed, with the money set aside for court computer and equipment needs through mid-2030. ### Plain-language summary This bill gives the Probate Court of Cook County, Georgia authority to add a small technology fee to civil filings. The clerk may charge and collect the fee, with the exact amount set by the probate judge, up to a cap of $5.00 per case filed. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying computer hardware and software, leasing or maintaining computer 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 are subject to audit by an auditor approved by Cook County's governing authority. The fee authority ends on July 1, 2030. Any money left over at that point stays dedicated to general Cook County technology uses, though the probate judge can declare a surplus once a year and send it to the county's governing authority. ### What it does - Authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Cook County to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil action filed with the court. - Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purchases: computer hardware and software, equipment leasing and maintenance, and imaging, scanning, fax, and printing equipment. - Requires the fee money to be kept in a separate account subject to audit by an auditor approved by Cook County's governing authority. - Sets an end date of July 1, 2030 for the county's authority to collect the fee. - Directs that leftover funds after termination stay dedicated to general Cook County technology uses, unless the probate judge declares a surplus and transfers it to the county's governing authority. ### Who it affects People filing civil cases in the Probate Court of Cook County, who would pay the new fee; the probate court clerk and judge, who set and collect it; and Cook County's governing authority, which approves the auditor and may eventually receive surplus funds. ### Why it matters Anyone filing a civil case in Cook County's probate court would pay a small additional fee, up to $5, that funds court technology like computers and scanners rather than general county revenue. The fee is temporary, ending in 2030 unless renewed, and its use is tightly restricted by law. ### Key provisions - Section 1(a) sets the technology fee cap at $5.00 per civil action filed and limits its use to computer hardware/software, equipment leasing and maintenance, and imaging/printing equipment. - Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue be kept in a segregated account managed by the clerk, subject to audit approved by Cook County's governing authority. - Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2030 and dedicates remaining funds to general county technology uses, with an option for the judge to declare an annual surplus for transfer to the county. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-30) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-04-30 (2025-04-30) - Sponsors: Charles Cannon, Jaclyn Ford - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69312 > The history, votes, and amendments (880 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb32.md?full=1