HB 591: Cleveland, City of; Municipal Court; charge a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland to charge a technology fee on top of each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid in that court. The judge sets the exact fee amount, but it cannot exceed $10.00. The money collected can only be spent on specific technology needs for the court and the city's police department, such as buying, leasing, maintaining, and installing computer hardware and software, plus equipment used for imaging, scanning, faxing, communicating, projecting, and printing. The city's chief financial officer and the clerk of court must keep the collected fees in a separate account from other city funds, and the money can only be spent for these approved purposes when directed by the city manager. The funds may also be used to pay the city's information technology department back for services it provides to the court or police department.

• Authorizes the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland to charge and collect a technology fee as a surcharge added to criminal and quasi-criminal fines.
• Caps the technology fee at $10.00, with the exact amount set by order of the court's judge.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to buying, leasing, maintaining, and installing technology equipment and software for the court and police department.
• Requires the city's chief financial officer and clerk of court to keep the fee money in a segregated account separate from other city funds.
• Allows the funds to reimburse the city's information technology department for services it provides to the court or police department.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new authorization.

This bill affects people who pay criminal or quasi-criminal fines in the Municipal Court of the City of Cleveland, the court's clerk and judge, the city's chief financial officer, the city manager, the city's police department, and the city's information technology department.

People fined in Cleveland's municipal court could pay up to $10 more per fine. That extra money would fund specific technology upgrades for the court and police department, such as new computers, software, and imaging equipment, rather than going into the city's general revenue.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the court clerk to charge a technology fee as a surcharge on each criminal and quasi-criminal fine, capped at $10.00 and set by the judge.
• Section 1(b) limits use of the fee to technology needs of the court and police department, including computer hardware, software, imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
• Section 1(c) requires the fee revenue to be kept in a segregated account managed by the chief financial officer and clerk of court, spent only on approved purposes under direction of the city manager, and allows reimbursement to the city's IT department.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date
2. 2025-05-13Act 150
3. 2025-05-13House 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)

• Stan Gunter (R, HD-8)Primary sponsor
• Will Wade (R, HD-9)

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

• municipal court fees
• City of Cleveland Georgia
• court technology funding
• local government fines