--- title: HB 553. Taylor County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of technology fee collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb553 cite_as: HB 553, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb553 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb553.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb553/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70598 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/hb552.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb554.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 882 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb553.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 553 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: - Patty Stinson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB553/2025 upstream_id: 1978309 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Taylor County - probate court - court fees - local government funding - court technology --- # HB 553. Taylor County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of technology fee ## Text 25 LC 47 3323/AP House Bill 553 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representative Stinson of the 150th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of1 Taylor 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 Taylor 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 Taylor 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. 553 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3323/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 and shall be used only for the p urposes authorized in this20 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 Taylor County technology uses.24 SECTION 2.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 H. B. 553 - 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. A House bill would let the Probate Court of Taylor County charge a technology fee of up to $5 on civil filings and fines to pay for computer and digital record equipment, with the authority ending in 2035. ### Plain-language summary This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Taylor County to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of no more than $5 for each civil action filed and up to $5 as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only go toward the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing imaging and communications equipment, and converting paper court records into digital files for public access. The fees must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and used only for these purposes. The authority to collect the fee ends on July 1, 2035, and any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Taylor County technology uses. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws. ### What it does - Authorizes the Probate Court clerk in Taylor County to charge up to $5.00 for each civil filing to fund court technology. - Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $5.00 on each fine assessed by the court, also for technology funding. - Limits use of the fee revenue to specific technology purposes, including computer equipment, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records. - Requires the collected fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for these authorized purposes. - Sets July 1, 2035 as the date the fee authority ends, with leftover funds staying dedicated to general Taylor County technology uses. - Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authority. ### Who it affects People who file civil cases in the Probate Court of Taylor County and people who are fined by that court, since they would pay the new fee or surcharge. It also affects the probate court clerk and judge, who administer the fee and account, and Taylor County government, which benefits from leftover technology funds after 2035. ### Why it matters Residents and businesses filing civil actions or paying fines in Taylor County's Probate Court would pay a small added fee, while the court gains a dedicated funding source for updating computers, imaging equipment, and digitizing old records instead of relying on the county's general budget. ### Key provisions - Section 1(a) sets the maximum fee at $5.00 per civil filing and a separate $5.00 surcharge per fine, with the amount actually charged determined by the probate judge. - Section 1(a) restricts fee use to four listed categories: computer hardware/software, hardware maintenance and installation, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records for public access. - Section 1(b) requires the clerk to keep collected fees in a segregated account used only for the authorized purposes. - Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and dedicates any remaining account funds to general Taylor 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: Patty Stinson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70598 > The history, votes, and amendments (882 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb553.md?full=1