---
title: HB 935. Thomas County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb935
cite_as: HB 935, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb935
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb935.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb935/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72133
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb934.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb936.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 885
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb935.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 935
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
  - Charles Cannon
  - Darlene Taylor
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB935/2025
upstream_id: 2072004
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Thomas County
  - probate court
  - court fees
  - local government funding
---

# HB 935. Thomas County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 935 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Cannon of the 172nd and Taylor of the 173rd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of
Thomas County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology fee; to provide for the
termination of such technology fee and dedication of residual funds; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
(a) The clerk of the Probate Court of Thomas County is hereby authorized to charge and
collect a technology fee to be set by the judge of the probate court in an amount not to
exceed $10.00 for the filing of each civil action with the court. Such technology fees shall
be used exclusively to provide for technological needs of the Probate Court of Thomas
County. Such uses shall include only the following:
(1) Computer hardware and software purchases;
(2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware; and
(3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of imaging, scanning, facsimile,
communications, projection, and printing equipment and software.
(b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be maintained in a segregated account by
the clerk of the probate court, subject to audit by an auditor approved by the governing
authority of Thomas County, and shall be used only for the purposes authorized in this
section.
(c) The authority to assess the technology fee pursuant to this Act shall terminate on
July 1, 2031, and any residual funds remaining in the account established by subsection (b)
of this section shall remain dedicated to general Thomas County technology uses; provided,
however, that, if the Probate Court of Thomas County determines there to be a surplus of
such funds, the judge of said court may declare a surplus once a year and transfer such
surplus to the governing authority of Thomas County.
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## 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.

A House bill would let the Probate Court of Thomas County charge up to $10 per civil filing as a technology fee, with the money set aside for court equipment and the fee ending in 2031.

### Plain-language summary

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Probate Court of Thomas County to charge a technology fee, set by the probate judge but capped at $10, for every civil action filed with the court. The fee money can only go toward specific technology needs: buying computer hardware and software, leasing or maintaining computer equipment, and purchasing or maintaining imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and are subject to audit by an auditor approved by the Thomas County governing authority. The law authorizing the fee ends on July 1, 2031. Any money left in the account after that stays dedicated to general Thomas County technology uses, though the probate judge may declare a surplus once a year and hand it over to the county governing authority.

### What it does

- Authorizes the Probate Court of Thomas County to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each civil action filed with the court.
- Restricts use of the fee money to computer hardware and software, equipment leasing and maintenance, and imaging, scanning, fax, and printing equipment.
- Requires the fee money to be kept in a segregated account subject to audit by a county-approved auditor.
- Ends the court's authority to collect the fee on July 1, 2031.
- Directs any leftover funds after termination to remain dedicated to Thomas County technology uses, while letting the judge declare a yearly surplus and transfer it to the county government.

### Who it affects

People filing civil actions in the Probate Court of Thomas County, who would pay the new fee; the probate court clerk and judge, who set and collect it; and the Thomas County governing authority, which audits the funds and may receive surplus money.

### Why it matters

Anyone filing a civil case in Thomas County's probate court would pay up to $10 more, and that money would fund the court's computers, software, and office equipment rather than the county's general budget, at least until the fee expires in 2031.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) sets the fee cap at $10.00 per civil filing, with the exact amount set by the probate judge, and limits spending to three listed technology categories.
- Section 1(b) requires the fee revenue to be held in a segregated account and audited by an auditor approved by Thomas County's governing authority.
- Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2031, keeps leftover funds dedicated to general county technology uses, and allows the judge to declare an annual surplus for transfer to the county.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Charles Cannon, Darlene Taylor
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72133

> The history, votes, and amendments (885 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb935.md?full=1