--- title: HB 538. Schley County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of technology fee collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb538 cite_as: HB 538, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb538 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb538.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb538/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70575 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/hb537.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb539.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 882 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb538.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 538 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: - Mike Cheokas text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB538/2025 upstream_id: 1978358 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - court fees - local legislation - Schley County - probate court - court technology funding --- # HB 538. Schley County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of technology fee ## Text 25 LC 47 3199/AP House Bill 538 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representative Cheokas of the 151st A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of1 Schley County; to identify the authorized uses of such technolo gy fee; to provide for the2 termination of such technology fee and dedication of residual funds; to provide for related3 matters; to 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 Schley County is hereby authorized to charge and7 collect a technology fee to be set by the judge of the probate court in an amount not to8 exceed $5.00 for the filing of each civil action with the court and not to exceed $5.00 as a9 surcharge upon each fine assessed by the court. Such technolog y fees shall be used10 exclusively to provide for technological needs of the Probate Court of Schley County. Such11 uses shall include only the following:12 (1) Computer hardware, software, and accessory purchases;13 (2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware; 14 (3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of imaging, scanning, facsimile,15 communications, projection, and printing equipment and software; and16 H. B. 538 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3199/AP (4) Procurement of services or equipment for the conversion of court records and archives17 to digital content for public access.18 (b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by19 the clerk of the probate court, subject to audit by an auditor approved by the governing20 authority of Schley County, and shall be used only for the purposes authorized in this section.21 (c) The authority to assess the technology fee pursuant to thi s Act shall terminate on22 July 1, 2035, and any residual funds remaining in the account established by subsection (b)23 of this section shall remain dedicated to general Schley County technology uses.24 SECTION 2.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 H. B. 538 - 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 538 lets the Probate Court of Schley County charge a technology fee of up to $5 on civil filings and up to $5 as a surcharge on fines, to pay for court technology through 2035. ### Plain-language summary This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Schley County to charge a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of no more than $5 for each civil action filed with the court and no more than $5 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only be spent on the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, and printing equipment, and converting court records into digital form for public access. The fees must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk, and that account is subject to audit by an auditor approved by Schley County's governing authority. The authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2035, at which point any money left in the account stays dedicated to general technology uses for Schley County. ### What it does - Authorizes the Probate Court of Schley County's clerk to charge up to $5.00 for each civil action filed with the court. - Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $5.00 on each fine assessed by the court. - Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purposes, including hardware, software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records. - Requires the fee funds to be kept in a segregated account subject to audit by a county-approved auditor. - Sets July 1, 2035 as the date the fee authority ends, with leftover funds dedicated to general Schley County technology uses. ### Who it affects People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Schley County and people who are fined by that court would pay the new fee or surcharge. The court clerk, the probate judge, and Schley County's governing authority and auditors would administer and oversee the funds. ### Why it matters Residents dealing with the Schley County Probate Court, whether filing paperwork or paying a fine, would pay a small added cost that funds court technology upgrades like digital record conversion and equipment. The fee is capped, tracked separately, and expires in 2035 unless renewed. ### Key provisions - Section 1(a) sets the fee structure: up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine, with the exact amount set by the probate judge. - Section 1(a) limits use of the fee to four categories: computer hardware/software purchases, hardware maintenance and installation, imaging/scanning/communications equipment, and digitizing court records. - Section 1(b) requires the funds be kept in a segregated account subject to audit approved by Schley County's governing authority. - Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and dedicates any leftover funds to general county technology uses. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-30) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-04-30 (2025-04-30) - Sponsors: Mike Cheokas - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70575 > The history, votes, and amendments (882 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb538.md?full=1