HB937: HB937 Berrien County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to the Magistrate Court of Berrien County. It authorizes the court clerk to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of no more than $5.00 for filing a civil case and no more than $5.00 as a surcharge on any fine the court imposes. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs: computer hardware and software, leasing and maintaining computer equipment, imaging and communications equipment like scanners and fax machines, and converting old court records into digital files. Funds must be kept in a separate account used only for these purposes. The authority to collect the fee ends on July 1, 2036, and any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Berrien County technology uses.

• Authorizes the Berrien County Magistrate Court clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil case filed with the court.
• Authorizes an additional surcharge of up to $5.00 on each fine the court assesses, also capped at $5.00.
• Restricts use of the collected fees to specific technology purchases: computer hardware and software, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires the fees to be kept in a segregated account managed by the clerk and spent only on the authorized technology purposes.
• Sets July 1, 2036 as the date the fee authority ends, with any leftover funds dedicated to general Berrien County technology uses.

People who file civil lawsuits in the Berrien County Magistrate Court, people who are fined by that court, the court clerk's office, and Berrien County's local government, which will oversee how leftover technology funds are eventually used.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a fine in Berrien County's Magistrate Court would pay a small added fee, up to $10 combined, that funds computers, scanners, and digital record-keeping for that specific court rather than going into 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 surcharge on court fines, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
• Section 1(a) limits fee spending to four categories: computer hardware/software, hardware leasing/maintenance, imaging and communications equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Section 1(b) requires the clerk to keep collected fees in a segregated account used only for the authorized technology purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and directs any remaining funds toward 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 technology