---
title: HB 936. Berlin, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb936
cite_as: HB 936, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb936
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb936.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb936/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72134
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 884
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb936.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 936
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
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB936/2025
upstream_id: 2072037
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - municipal court fees
  - City of Berlin Georgia
  - court technology funding
  - local government finance
---

# HB 936. Berlin, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

## Text

House Bill 936 (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 Municipal Court of the
City of Berlin; 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 Municipal Court of the City of Berlin is hereby authorized to charge and
collect a technology fee to be set by the judge of the municipal court in an amount not to
exceed $10.00 as a surcharge to each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court. Such
technology fees shall be used exclusively to provide for technological needs of the Municipal
Court of the City of Berlin. 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 municipal court, subject to audit by an auditor approved by the governing
authority of the City of Berlin, 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, 2030, and any residual funds remaining in the account established by subsection (b)
of this section shall remain dedicated to general City of Berlin technology uses; provided,
however, that, if the governing authority of the City of Berlin determines there to be a surplus
of such funds, the clerk of said court may transfer such surplus to the governing authority of
the City of Berlin.
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 Municipal Court of the City of Berlin, Georgia charge a technology fee of up to $10 on criminal fines to pay for court computer and office equipment, with the fee ending in 2030.

### Plain-language summary

This bill authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Berlin to add a technology fee, set by the municipal court judge but capped at $10, onto each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court. The money collected can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying computer hardware and software, leasing and maintaining computer equipment, and purchasing or maintaining imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
The fee money must be kept in a separate account managed by the court clerk and is subject to audit by an auditor approved by the Berlin city government. The bill sets an end date for the fee of July 1, 2030. Any leftover money in the account at that point stays dedicated to the city's general technology uses, though the city government can decide to transfer a surplus to itself if one exists.

### What it does

- Authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Berlin to charge a technology fee, capped at $10, on each criminal or quasi-criminal fine.
- 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 revenue to be kept in a segregated account subject to audit by a city-approved auditor.
- Sets July 1, 2030 as the date the fee authority ends, with leftover funds staying dedicated to city technology uses unless declared a surplus.
- Allows the Berlin city government to claim any surplus funds from the account if it determines a surplus exists.

### Who it affects

People who are fined in the Municipal Court of the City of Berlin for criminal or quasi-criminal offenses, the court clerk who collects and manages the fee, the municipal court judge who sets its amount, and the Berlin city government, which oversees auditing and could receive surplus funds.

### Why it matters

People fined in Berlin's municipal court could pay up to $10 more per fine, funding specific technology upgrades for the court rather than general city budgets. The fee is temporary, ending in 2030, after which leftover money stays earmarked for city technology unless officials declare it surplus.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) authorizes the fee, capped at $10.00, set by the municipal court judge and charged as a surcharge on each criminal and quasi-criminal fine.
- Section 1(a) limits fee spending to three categories: computer hardware and software purchases; leasing, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware; and purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment and software.
- Section 1(b) requires the funds to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk and subject to audit by a city-approved auditor.
- Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2030 and dedicates leftover funds to general city technology uses, unless the city government finds a surplus and directs the clerk to transfer it to the city.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Charles Cannon
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72134

> The history, votes, and amendments (884 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb936.md?full=1