HB 937: Berrien County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Berrien County. It authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court there to charge a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of up to $5.00 for each civil case filed and up to $5.00 as an added charge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only be spent on the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining imaging and printing equipment, and converting paper court records into digital files. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the court clerk and cannot be used for anything else. The bill sets an end date: the authority to collect this fee stops on July 1, 2036. Any money still left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general technology uses for Berrien County rather than being refunded or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the Magistrate Court of Berrien County to charge up to $5.00 on each civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purposes, including computer hardware and software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account controlled by the court clerk, used only for the authorized purposes.
• Sets July 1, 2036 as the date the fee authority ends, with any leftover money staying dedicated to Berrien County technology uses.
• Repeals any prior state or local laws that conflict with this new authority.

People who file civil cases in the Magistrate Court of Berrien County, people who are fined by that court, the court's clerk who collects and manages the fee, and Berrien County government, which retains any leftover technology funds after 2036.

Georgians who file civil suits or are fined in Berrien County's magistrate court would pay a small added cost, up to $10 combined in some cases, specifically earmarked to modernize the court's technology and digitize its records rather than going into the county's general budget.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee amounts, up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 per fine surcharge, set by the chief magistrate, and lists four allowed technology uses for the money.
• Section 1(b) requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account by the court clerk and spent only on the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and dedicates any remaining balance to general Berrien County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 526
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-02-17Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-02-17Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-02-09Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-02-06House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Jaclyn Ford (R, HD-170)Primary sponsor
• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 6, 2026

   163 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 5 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #480

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 17, 2026

   48 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #548

• court fees
• Berrien County
• magistrate court
• local government
• court technology