HB 837: Richmond County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Richmond County to charge a technology fee, capped at $10.00, on every civil action filed with the court. The judge of the probate court sets the exact amount within that cap. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment, and paying for services to preserve court records and convert them to digital form for public access. The funds must be kept in a separate account controlled by the clerk and used only for these purposes. The authority to collect the fee ends on July 1, 2035. Any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Richmond County technology uses rather than reverting elsewhere.

• Authorizes the Probate Court of Richmond County's clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each civil case filed.
• Limits use of the fee revenue to computer hardware and software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing and archiving court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account used only for these authorized technology purposes.
• Sets July 1, 2035 as the date the fee authority ends, with leftover funds staying dedicated to Richmond County technology uses.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authorization.

People filing civil actions in the Probate Court of Richmond County, who would pay the new fee; the probate court clerk and judge, who set and collect it; and Richmond County government, which benefits from the technology funding and any leftover funds after 2035.

Georgians filing civil cases in Richmond County's probate court would pay a small added fee, up to $10, that funds court technology like digital record-keeping and equipment rather than the county's general budget, with the fee expiring automatically in 2035 unless renewed.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee cap at $10.00 per civil action filed and restricts its use to four listed technology categories.
• Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue to be held in a segregated account and spent only on the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035 and dedicates any remaining balance to general Richmond County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date
2. 2025-05-13Act 237
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-08House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-31Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted (House)

• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)Primary sponsor
• Karlton Howard (D, HD-129)
• Lynn Heffner (D, HD-130)
• Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   165 yea, 0 nay (10 not voting, 5 excused)

   Local Calendar Without HBs 851 & 852: House Vote #342

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   55 yea, 1 nay

   SUPPLEMENTAL LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #400

• court fees
• Richmond County
• probate court
• local government funding