HB 553: Taylor County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of technology fee

Currently the Probate Court of Taylor County has no specific authority to charge a technology fee. This bill would let the court's clerk, under an amount set by the probate judge, charge up to $5.00 for each civil action filed with the court and add up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money raised must be kept in a separate account and can only be spent on the court's technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment, and converting paper court records into digital files for public access. The bill sets an end date of July 1, 2035 for collecting the fee, after which any leftover money in the account stays dedicated to general Taylor County technology uses.

• Authorizes the Probate Court of Taylor County's clerk to charge a technology fee, capped at $5.00 per civil filing and $5.00 per fine surcharge, with the exact amount set by the probate judge.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purposes such as computer hardware and software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the collected funds to be kept in a segregated account separate from other county or court funds.
• Sets a termination date of July 1, 2035 for the fee, after which leftover funds must stay dedicated to general Taylor County technology purposes.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these new rules.

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Taylor County and people who are fined by that court, since both groups would pay the new fee. The court clerk and probate judge, who administer and set the fee, and Taylor County government, which benefits from residual technology funds after 2035, are also affected.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a fine in Taylor County's probate court would pay a small added cost, up to $10 total, that funds court technology upgrades like digital record-keeping and equipment. The dedicated account and 2035 sunset limit how and how long the money can be used.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee caps: up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine, with the exact amount determined by the probate judge.
• Section 1(a) lists the only permitted uses: computer hardware/software purchases, equipment leasing and maintenance, imaging/scanning/printing equipment, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue to be kept in a segregated account used only for the authorized technology purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and directs any remaining funds toward general Taylor County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-30Effective Date
2. 2025-04-30Act 33
3. 2025-04-30House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-10Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-10Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-02-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Patty Marie Stinson (D, HD-150)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 27, 2025

   169 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 6 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #99

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 10, 2025

   43 yea, 1 nay (3 not voting, 9 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #221

• court fees
• Taylor County
• probate court
• local government funding