HB1541: HB1541 Ware County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to Ware County. It authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court there to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the chief magistrate, of no more than $10 for filing a civil action and no more than $10 added as a surcharge on any fine the court imposes. The money collected can only be spent on the court's technological needs: buying computer hardware and software, leasing or maintaining that equipment, and purchasing or maintaining imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment. The funds must be kept in a separate account by the clerk. The authority to collect this fee ends on July 1, 2036, at which point any money left over stays dedicated to general Ware County technology uses, decided by the Ware County Board of Commissioners.

• Authorizes the clerk of the Magistrate Court of Ware County to charge up to $10 for filing a civil action and up to $10 as a surcharge on fines.
• Restricts use of the fee revenue to specific technology purchases, leases, and maintenance for the court, such as computers, software, and imaging or printing equipment.
• Requires the collected fees to be kept in a separate, segregated account managed by the court clerk.
• Sets July 1, 2036 as the date the fee authority ends, after which leftover funds go to general Ware County technology uses at the Board of Commissioners' discretion.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new fee authorization.

People who file civil lawsuits in the Magistrate Court of Ware County and people who are fined by that court would pay the new fee. The court clerk and chief magistrate would administer it, and the Ware County Board of Commissioners would later control any leftover funds.

Ware County residents involved in small civil cases or facing court fines would pay a modest extra charge, capped at $10 each, that funds court computer and equipment upgrades rather than general county spending, and the arrangement is set to expire automatically in 2036 unless renewed.

• Section 1(a) sets the fee structure: up to $10 per civil filing and up to $10 as a surcharge on each fine, with the exact amount set by the chief magistrate.
• Section 1(a) limits fee spending to three categories: computer hardware/software purchases, leasing and maintenance of that equipment, and imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
• Section 1(b) requires the clerk to keep collected funds in a segregated account used only for these authorized purposes.
• Section 1(c) terminates the fee authority on July 1, 2036, and directs any remaining funds toward general Ware County technology uses as decided by the county commissioners.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 677
3. 2026-05-12House 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)

• James Burchett (R, HD-176)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

• Ware County government
• court fees
• local legislation
• magistrate court
• technology funding