--- title: HB 596. Colquitt County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb596 cite_as: HB 596, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb596 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb596.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb596/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70717 date: 2025-05-13 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/hb595.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb597.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 884 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb596.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 596 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-13 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 sponsors: - Charles Cannon text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB596/2025 upstream_id: 1982216 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - local legislation - court fees - Colquitt County - traffic fines - law enforcement technology --- # HB 596. Colquitt County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee ## Text 25 LC 47 3369/AP House Bill 596 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representative Cannon of the 172nd A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the State Court of Colquitt1 County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology fee; to provide for the termination2 of such technology fee and dedication of residual funds to technology needs; to provide for3 related 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 State Court of Colquitt County is hereby authorized to charge and collect7 a technology fee in an amount of $10.00 as a surcharge upon each fine assessed by the court8 for violations of Title 40 of the O.C.G.A., relating to motor v ehicles and traffic. Such9 technology fees shall be used exclusively to provide for the technological needs of the State10 Court of Colquitt County and the Sheriff of Colquitt County. Such uses shall include only11 the following:12 (1) Computer hardware and software purchases;13 (2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware and software;14 H. B. 596 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3369/AP (3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of audio-vi sual, imaging, scanning,15 facsimile, communications, recording, projection, and printing equipment and software;16 and17 (4) Procurement of services and equipment for the conservation of court or sheriff records18 and the archival of the same to digital contents for public access.19 (b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by20 the clerk of the state court and shall be used only for the purposes authorized in this section.21 (c) The authority to assess a technology fee pursuant to this section shall terminate on22 July 1, 2035, and any residual funds remaining in the fund established by this section shall23 remain dedicated to general Colquitt County technology needs.24 SECTION 2.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 H. B. 596 - 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 596 lets the State Court of Colquitt County add a $10 technology fee to traffic fines to pay for court and sheriff's office equipment, with the fee ending in 2035. ### Plain-language summary This bill applies only to Colquitt County. It authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Colquitt County to charge and collect a $10 technology fee on top of every fine issued for traffic violations under Title 40 of Georgia law (O.C.G.A.), which covers motor vehicles and traffic offenses. The money collected must be kept in a separate account and can only be spent on specific technology needs for the State Court and the Sheriff of Colquitt County, such as buying or maintaining computer hardware and software, audio-visual and recording equipment, and digitizing court or sheriff's records for public access. The bill sets an end date: the authority to collect this fee terminates on July 1, 2035. Any money left over at that point stays dedicated to Colquitt County's general technology needs rather than being returned or spent elsewhere. ### What it does - Authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Colquitt County to add a $10 surcharge to fines for Title 40 traffic violations. - Restricts use of the fee revenue to technology needs of the State Court and the Sheriff of Colquitt County, listing four specific allowed categories of spending. - Requires the collected funds to be kept in a segregated account managed by the clerk of the state court. - Sets a termination date of July 1, 2035 for the fee, with any leftover money staying dedicated to Colquitt County technology needs. - Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new authorization. ### Who it affects Drivers cited for traffic violations in Colquitt County, who would pay the added $10 fee on their fines; the State Court of Colquitt County and its clerk, who administer the fee; and the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office, which shares in the technology funding. ### Why it matters Anyone fined for a traffic violation in Colquitt County would pay an extra $10, and that money would fund specific technology upgrades for the local state court and sheriff's office, such as computers, recording equipment, and digital records access, until the fee expires in 2035. ### Key provisions - Section 1(a) authorizes a $10 technology fee as a surcharge on fines for Title 40 traffic violations in the State Court of Colquitt County. - Section 1(a) limits fee spending to four categories: computer hardware and software, leasing and maintenance of such equipment, audio-visual and imaging equipment, and digitizing court or sheriff records for public access. - Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account by the clerk of the state court, used only for the authorized purposes. - Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and dedicates any remaining funds to general Colquitt County technology needs. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-13) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 (2025-05-13) - Sponsors: Charles Cannon - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70717 > The history, votes, and amendments (884 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb596.md?full=1