HB1478: HB1478 Court Technology Funding Act; enact

This bill creates the Court Technology Funding Act, a new option for local courts across Georgia to raise money for technology upgrades. It would not apply automatically everywhere: a court's chief judge would first develop a technology plan, and the local governing authority (county commission, city council, or similar body) would have to adopt a resolution putting the fees into effect. Once adopted, courts could charge up to $5 in additional fees on civil filings such as adoptions, name changes, and probate matters, and up to $5 in additional penalties on criminal and traffic fines and ordinance violations. The money collected would go into a separate technology fund managed by the clerk of court, spent only on things like computer hardware and software, courthouse security and evidence display systems, network connectivity, and related staff or training. Courts would have to report collections annually to the Judicial Council of Georgia starting in 2028. The bill also blocks new local laws creating separate technology fees after July 1, 2027, and the whole Act would take effect that same date, applying only where local governments have adopted it.

• Creates a new law (the Court Technology Funding Act) letting local governments opt in to extra court fees dedicated to technology funding.
• Allows courts to add up to $5 to civil filing fees in cases such as adoptions, name changes, and probate proceedings once a county or city adopts the program.
• Allows courts to add up to $5 as an extra penalty on criminal, traffic, and local ordinance violation fines once adopted.
• Requires the money to go into a separate technology fund controlled by the clerk of court, spent only on approved technology, security, and training purposes.
• Requires courts to submit annual reports on the fees collected and spent to the Judicial Council of Georgia starting August 1, 2028.
• Blocks any new local laws creating separate court technology fees after July 1, 2027, while letting existing local fee programs continue under certain conditions.

People filing civil cases (including adoptions, probate, and guardianship matters), people convicted of crimes, traffic offenses, or local ordinance violations, county and municipal governments, court clerks, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers, and law enforcement officers who rely on court technology.

If a local government opts in, Georgians filing civil paperwork or paying criminal or traffic fines in that jurisdiction would pay a small additional fee, up to $5 each, specifically earmarked for court computers, security systems, and related technology rather than general county or state funds.

• Section 1 revises the priority order for distributing partial court payments in Georgia's Code Section 15-6-95 to add a new category for technology funding collected under this Act.
• Section 2 creates new Article 12 of Chapter 21, Title 15, establishing the Court Technology Funding Act and defining 'governing authority' as the county, consolidated government, or municipality.
• Code Section 15-21-222 requires a chief judge to develop a technology plan and requires the local governing authority to adopt a resolution before fees can be collected; approval is automatic if no action is taken within 30 days.
• Code Section 15-21-223 authorizes a civil filing fee of up to $5.00 in superior, state, recorder's, mayor's, magistrate, and probate courts once adopted locally.
• Code Section 15-21-224 authorizes an additional criminal or ordinance-violation penalty of up to $5.00 once adopted locally.
• Code Section 15-21-225 restricts use of the technology fund to specific purposes such as computer hardware and software, courthouse security systems, networking, and staff training.
• Code Section 15-21-226 requires annual reporting to the Judicial Council of Georgia beginning August 1, 2028.
• Code Section 15-21-227 preempts new local laws creating separate court technology fees after July 1, 2027, while allowing existing local fee funds to continue under certain conditions; Section 3 sets the Act's effective date as July 1, 2027, contingent on local adoption.

1. 2026-03-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-03House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-26House Hopper (House)

• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)Primary sponsor
• Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)
• Demetrius Douglas (D, HD-078)
• Noelle Kahaian (R, HD-081)

• court fees
• court technology
• local government
• criminal penalties
• civil filing fees