HB1485: HB1485 Union County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill gives the clerk of the Probate Court of Union County authority to charge a technology fee, set by the probate judge, of up to $5.00 for filing a civil action and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine the court imposes. The money can only be spent on the court's technology needs, such as buying or leasing computer hardware and software, maintaining imaging and printing equipment, and converting paper court records into digital files 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 Union County's governing authority. The bill sets an expiration date: the authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2036. Any money left in the account at that point stays dedicated to general Union County technology purposes rather than being refunded or spent elsewhere.

• Authorizes the Probate Court of Union County's clerk to charge a technology fee of up to $5.00 on each civil filing and up to $5.00 as a surcharge on each fine.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purposes: computer hardware and software, imaging and printing equipment, and digitizing court records.
• Requires fee revenue to be kept in a separate account subject to audit by an auditor approved by Union County's governing authority.
• Sets a termination date of July 1, 2036 for the fee, after which any leftover funds stay dedicated to Union County technology uses.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these new rules.

People who file civil actions in the Probate Court of Union County and people who are fined by that court will pay the new fee. The court clerk, the probate judge who sets the fee amount, and Union County's governing authority, which approves the required audits, are also directly involved.

Anyone filing a civil case or paying a fine in Union County's probate court could pay up to an extra $10 total, money that would fund computer equipment and digital record-keeping for the court rather than going into the county's general budget, and the arrangement is set to expire in 2036.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee cap at $5.00 per civil filing and $5.00 per fine surcharge, with the exact amount set by the probate judge.
• Section 1(a) lists the only allowed uses: computer purchases and leases, imaging/scanning/printing equipment, and digitizing court records for public access.
• Section 1(b) requires the fees to be held in a segregated account subject to audit by a county-approved auditor.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036 and dedicates any remaining balance to general Union County technology uses.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 565
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-25Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-23Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-20House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Stan Gunter (R, HD-008)Primary sponsor

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 20, 2026

   153 yea, 0 nay (14 not voting, 9 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #734

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 25, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #799

• court fees
• Union County
• probate court
• local government funding