---
title: SB 316. Probate Court of Clinch County; assessment and collection of a technology fee; authorize
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb316
cite_as: SB 316, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb316
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb316.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb316/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71060
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: 890
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb316.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 316
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-05-11
sponsors:
  - Russ Goodman
  - John Corbett
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB316/2025
upstream_id: 1989272
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - court fees
  - Clinch County
  - probate court
  - local government funding
---

# SB 316. Probate Court of Clinch County; assessment and collection of a technology fee; authorize

## Text

Senate Bill 316
By: Senator Goodman of the 8th
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To authorize the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of
Clinch County; to identify the authorized uses of such technology fee; to provide for the
administration of such technology fee and 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 governing authority of Clinch County is authorized to adopt a resolution authorizing
the clerk of the Probate Court of Clinch County shall be authorized to charge and collect a
technology fee in an amount not to exceed $5.00, as set from time to time by the governing
authority by resolution, for the filing of on every civil action filed, every estate filed, as well
as a surcharge on each fine assessed by the probate court, each conviction, and each filing
of an affidavit, except for affidavits of indigency. The Probate Court Technology Fee shall
be assessed and collected not more than once per party within any one action or proceeding.
Such technology fees shall be used exclusively to provide for technological needs of the
Probate Court of Clinch County. Such uses shall include only the following:
(1) Computer hardware, software, and accessory purchases;
(2) Lease, maintenance, and installation of computer hardware;
(3) Purchase, lease, maintenance, and installation of imaging, scanning, facsimile,
communications, projection, and printing equipment and software; and
(4) Procurement of services or equipment for the conversion of court records and
archives to digital content for public access.
(b) Funds collected pursuant to this section shall be collected by the clerk of the probate
court and remitted to the governing authority of the county on a monthly basis. Such
proceeds shall be maintained by the governing authority of the county in a separate,
segregated account, provided however as long as the Probate Judge and Magistrate Judge are
consolidated, the Probate Court Technology Fee and Magistrate Court Technology Fee and
may be maintained in a joint consolidated account, and shall be expended solely for the
purposes enumerated in subsection (a) of this Act. Such account shall be audited by such
governing authority annually.
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 Georgia Senate bill would let Clinch County's governing authority allow the Probate Court to charge a technology fee of up to $5 on filings, fines, and convictions to pay for court technology upgrades.

### Plain-language summary

This bill authorizes the governing authority of Clinch County to adopt a resolution letting the clerk of the Probate Court of Clinch County charge a technology fee, capped at $5.00, on civil actions, estate filings, fines, convictions, and affidavit filings (except affidavits of indigency). The fee can only be charged once per party per case.
The money collected must be used only for the probate court's technology needs, such as buying or maintaining computer hardware and software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records for public access. The clerk must remit collected funds monthly to the county, which must keep them in a separate account (or a joint account with Magistrate Court technology fees if the two courts share a judge), and the account must be audited annually. All conflicting laws are repealed.

### What it does

- Authorizes Clinch County's governing authority to adopt a resolution allowing the Probate Court clerk to collect a technology fee of up to $5.00 per party per case.
- Applies the fee to civil actions, estate filings, fines, convictions, and affidavit filings, but exempts affidavits of indigency.
- Limits use of the fee revenue to specific technology purchases, including hardware, software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
- Requires the clerk to remit collected fees monthly to the county, which must hold them in a segregated account and audit it annually.
- Allows the technology fee funds to be combined with Magistrate Court technology fee funds in a joint account if the Probate and Magistrate judgeships are consolidated.

### Who it affects

People filing civil actions, estate cases, or affidavits in Clinch County's Probate Court, as well as those who receive fines or convictions there. It also affects the Clinch County governing authority and the Probate Court clerk, who are responsible for collecting, holding, and auditing the fee revenue.

### Why it matters

Georgians who use Clinch County's Probate Court for estate filings, civil actions, or certain court matters would pay a small added fee, up to $5, that funds court technology upgrades like digital recordkeeping and printing equipment, rather than relying solely on general county budgets.

### Key provisions

- Section 1(a) authorizes the county governing authority to set, by resolution, a technology fee not exceeding $5.00 on civil actions, estate filings, fine surcharges, convictions, and affidavit filings except affidavits of indigency.
- Section 1(a) limits the fee to being assessed once per party per action or proceeding.
- Section 1(a)(1)-(4) restricts fee revenue to computer hardware and software, equipment leasing and maintenance, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records for public access.
- Section 1(b) requires the clerk to remit collected fees to the county monthly and requires the county to keep the funds in a segregated account, audited annually.
- Section 1(b) allows a joint consolidated account with Magistrate Court technology fees if the Probate and Magistrate Judge positions are consolidated.
- Section 2 repeals all conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-05-11 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Russ Goodman, John Corbett
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71060

> The history, votes, and amendments (890 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb316.md?full=1