HB1021: HB1021 Courts; increase amount of funds the authority is authorized to retain for administrative costs

Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-5), a state authority collects certain fines and fees and is allowed to keep 1 percent of that money to cover its own administrative costs, up to a yearly cap. The rest of the money, after that deduction, gets sent to places like the state treasury's general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, and the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund. This bill raises that yearly cap on what the authority can keep for administration from $500,000 to $1 million. The 1 percent rate itself does not change, only the dollar ceiling. Everything else about how the remaining money is distributed to the various funds stays the same. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws, a standard closing provision.

• Raises the maximum amount the authority can retain each fiscal year for its own administrative costs from $500,000 to $1 million.
• Keeps the 1 percent retention rate on funds collected under O.C.G.A. §§ 15-21A-3 and 15-21A-6 unchanged.
• Leaves unchanged the distribution rules sending remaining money to the state general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new higher cap.

The state authority responsible for collecting certain court-related fines and fees, and the state entities that depend on the money it passes along, including the state general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Board, and the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission.

Because the authority could keep twice as much money for its own operating costs each year, less money may flow through to the general fund and to programs like crime victim compensation and brain and spinal injury care, depending on how much the authority actually spends.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-5(a) to change the administrative cost cap from $500,000.00 to $1 million per fiscal year, keeping the 1 percent retention rate.
• Section 1 leaves intact the six categories of net proceeds distribution, including remittances to the general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, and the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act, a standard closing clause.

1. 2026-02-20House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-01-29House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-28House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-01-27House Hopper (House)

• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)Primary sponsor
• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Mary Oliver (D, HD-084)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)

• court fees and fines
• state agency funding
• crime victims compensation
• brain and spinal injury fund