HB 774: Dekalb County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of DeKalb County to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of no more than $5.00 for each civil action filed with the court. The money collected can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying, leasing, or maintaining computer hardware and software, buying or maintaining imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment, and paying for services or equipment to preserve court records and convert them to digital form for public access. The fee money must be kept in a separate account by the clerk and used only for these approved purposes. The bill sets an end date: the court's authority to charge the fee stops on July 1, 2035. Any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general DeKalb County technology uses rather than being refunded or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the DeKalb County Probate Court clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil action filed, with the amount set by the probate judge.
• Restricts fee spending to computer hardware and software purchases, leasing, and maintenance for the probate court.
• Allows fee money to fund imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment and software.
• Allows fee money to pay for preserving court records and digitizing them for public access.
• Requires the fee revenue to be kept in a separate, segregated account used only for these approved purposes.
• Ends the court's authority to collect the fee on July 1, 2035, with any leftover money staying dedicated to DeKalb County technology uses.

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of DeKalb County, who would pay the new fee; the probate court clerk and judge, who set and collect it; and DeKalb County government, which would eventually receive any unspent funds after 2035.

Filing a civil case in DeKalb County's probate court could cost up to $5 more, with that money set aside specifically to modernize the court's technology and digitize records for public access, rather than going into the county's general fund.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee cap at $5.00 per civil filing and limits its use to four listed categories of technology purchases, leasing, and record digitization.
• Section 1(b) requires the clerk to keep fee revenue 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 funds to general DeKalb County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-30Effective Date
2. 2025-04-30Act 35
3. 2025-04-30House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Omari Crawford (D, HD-89)Primary sponsor
• Karla Drenner (D, HD-85)
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-88)
• Imani Barnes (D, HD-86)
• Mary Margaret Oliver (D, HD-84)
• Doreen Carter (D, HD-93)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2025

   164 yea, 0 nay (12 not voting, 4 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #317

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   49 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 2 excused)

   LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #339

• DeKalb County
• probate court
• court fees
• local legislation
• government technology