HB939: HB939 Tift County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Tift County to collect a new technology fee, set by the state court judge, of no more than $5 for each civil action filed and no more than $5 added as a surcharge on each fine the court assesses. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs: buying and maintaining computer hardware and software, imaging and communications equipment, printing equipment, and converting court records into digital form for public access. The fees must be kept in a separate account managed by the clerk and are subject to audit by an auditor approved by Tift County's governing authority. The authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2035, and any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Tift County technology uses. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

• Authorizes the clerk of the State Court of Tift County to charge up to a $5 fee on each civil case filing.
• Authorizes up to a $5 surcharge on each fine assessed by the State Court of Tift County.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purchases, maintenance, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account subject to audit by a county-approved auditor.
• Sets an end date of July 1, 2035 for the fee, after which leftover funds go to general Tift County technology uses.

People who file civil lawsuits in the State Court of Tift County and people who are fined by that court will pay the new fee. The court clerk and judge, and Tift County's governing authority, are responsible for setting, collecting, and auditing the fee.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a fine in Tift County's state court could pay up to $10 more between the filing fee and fine surcharge, money meant to fund computers, digital record conversion, and related technology rather than general county spending.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee amounts (up to $5 per civil filing, up to $5 per fine surcharge) and limits their use to hardware, software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be kept in a segregated account managed by the clerk and audited by a county-approved auditor.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2035, and directs 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 528
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
• Tift County
• state courts
• court technology