SB489: SB489 Board of Commissioners of the Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund of Georgia; allow to set monthly dues

The Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund of Georgia currently collects a fixed $105 monthly due from participating probate judges and board employees, along with set percentages of certain court fees. This bill lets the fund's Board of Commissioners set the monthly due amount itself each year, within a floor of $105 and a ceiling of $150, based on actuarial recommendations and the fund's financial soundness. Dues stop after a member has paid into the fund for 30 years. The bill also raises several fees that feed the fund. The share of marriage license fees sent to the fund rises from 20 percent to 25 percent, the portion of each civil filing fee sent to the fund rises from $2 to $5, and the amount collected from criminal and traffic fines or forfeited bonds rises from $3 to $5. The dues provision and related eligibility language take effect July 1, 2026.

• Lets the Board of Commissioners of the Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund of Georgia set monthly member dues each year instead of using a fixed amount, within a $105 to $150 range.
• Requires the board to base any dues change on actuarial advice, the fund's financial soundness under existing minimum funding standards (O.C.G.A. § 47-20-10), and other relevant factors.
• Ends the monthly dues requirement for any member once they have paid dues for 30 years.
• Raises the share of marriage license fees sent to the retirement fund from 20 percent to 25 percent.
• Increases the portion of each civil court filing fee that goes to the fund from $2 to $5.
• Raises the fee collected on criminal and traffic fines or forfeited bonds that funds the retirement system from $3 to $5.

Georgia probate court judges and board employees who belong to the retirement fund, the Board of Commissioners that manages it, and members of the public who pay marriage license fees, civil filing fees, or criminal and traffic fines and bond forfeitures in probate court, since those fees help fund the system.

Probate judges and fund employees could see their required monthly contribution rise above the current $105 flat rate, up to $150, depending on the board's yearly decision. Georgians using probate courts for marriage licenses, civil filings, or paying certain fines would pay higher fees that flow into the retirement fund.

• Section 1 adds a new subsection (d) to O.C.G.A. § 47-11-22 letting the board set monthly dues between $105 and $150, applied uniformly to all members, starting July 1, 2026.
• Section 1 requires the board to consider actuarial recommendations, the fund's actuarial soundness under O.C.G.A. § 47-20-10, and other relevant factors when setting dues.
• Section 1 ends the dues requirement for a member once they have paid dues for 30 years.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 47-11-40 eligibility rules for new members, tying required dues payments to 'the then prevailing rate for monthly dues set by the board' rather than a fixed $105 figure.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 47-11-50 to raise the marriage license fee share sent to the fund from 20 percent to 25 percent and the civil filing fee share from $2 to $5.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 47-11-51 to raise the fee collected on criminal and traffic fines or forfeited bonds from $3 to $5.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-11Act 515
3. 2026-05-11Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-03-19House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2026-03-19House Third Readers (House)
7. 2026-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2026-03-09House Second Readers (House)

• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)Primary sponsor
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 4, 2026

   53 yea, 1 nay (1 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #617

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 19, 2026

   161 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 8 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #731

• probate courts
• retirement funds
• court fees
• marriage licenses
• judicial pensions