HB 938: Tift County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Tift County. It authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Tift County, at an amount set by the chief magistrate, to charge up to $5.00 for filing each civil action and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court imposes. The money collected can only be used for specific technology needs: buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining and installing that equipment, buying or leasing imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection and printing equipment, and converting court records to digital files for public access. The funds must be kept in a separate account and spent only on those purposes. The authority to charge this fee ends on July 1, 2036, and any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Tift County technology uses.

• Authorizes the Magistrate Court of Tift County to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil case filing.
• Authorizes a surcharge of up to $5.00 on each fine assessed by the court, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk, separate from other county funds.
• Sets July 1, 2036 as the date the fee authority ends, with any leftover money staying dedicated to general Tift County technology uses.

People who file civil lawsuits in the Magistrate Court of Tift County and people who are fined by that court would pay the new fee. The court clerk and chief magistrate would administer it, and Tift County's technology budget would benefit from the funds.

Civil litigants and people fined in Tift County's Magistrate Court would pay a small additional cost, up to $10 combined in some cases, that would fund the court's computer systems, records digitization, and related equipment rather than coming from the county's general budget.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee structure: up to $5.00 per civil filing and up to $5.00 as a fine surcharge, with the chief magistrate setting the exact amount.
• Section 1(a) lists the only permitted uses: computer hardware/software, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be kept in a segregated account and spent only for the authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and dedicates any remaining funds to general Tift County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 527
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

• Tift County
• magistrate court fees
• local court technology
• court filing fees