HB 596: Colquitt County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Colquitt County to charge and collect a $10.00 technology fee as a surcharge on every fine issued for violations of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia (traffic and motor vehicle law). The money must be kept in a separate account and can only be spent on specific technology needs for the state court and the Colquitt County Sheriff, such as computers, software, audio-visual and recording equipment, and digitizing court and sheriff records for public access. The bill sets an end date: the authority to collect the fee terminates on July 1, 2035. Any money left in the fund at that point stays dedicated to Colquitt County's general technology needs rather than being returned or redirected elsewhere. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws.

• Authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Colquitt County to add a $10.00 technology fee to every fine for Title 40 traffic and motor vehicle violations.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purposes for the state court and the Colquitt County Sheriff, including computer hardware, software, and recording or imaging equipment.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account managed by the state court clerk, separate from other county funds.
• Sets a termination date of July 1, 2035 for the fee, with leftover funds staying dedicated to general Colquitt County technology needs.

Drivers who receive traffic fines in Colquitt County, the State Court of Colquitt County and its clerk, and the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office, which shares in the technology purchases funded by the fee.

People fined for traffic violations in Colquitt County would pay an extra $10.00 per fine, and that money would fund specific equipment upgrades for the local court and sheriff, such as digitizing records and buying computers, rather than going into the county's general budget.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee at $10.00 per fine for Title 40 (motor vehicles and traffic) violations and lists the four permitted categories of spending, including computer hardware, equipment leasing, and record digitization.
• Section 1(b) requires the clerk of the state court to keep the collected funds in a segregated account used only for the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) ends the fee-collection authority on July 1, 2035 and directs any remaining funds to stay dedicated to general Colquitt County technology needs.
• Section 2 repeals any existing laws that conflict with this Act.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date
2. 2025-05-13Act 153
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-13Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-13Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-04House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Chas Cannon (R, HD-172)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   172 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 2 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #148

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 13, 2025

   48 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 4 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #229

• local government fees
• court funding
• Colquitt County
• traffic fines
• technology funding