HB1549: HB1549 Cornelia, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to the City of Cornelia, Georgia. It authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of Cornelia to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the municipal court judge, of up to $10.00 as a surcharge added to each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court. The money can only be spent on specific technology needs of the municipal court and the city's police department, such as computer hardware and software, imaging and communications equipment, and police equipment including body cameras, drones, and 9-1-1 dispatch systems. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer, subject to audit, and can be used to reimburse the city's information technology department for work done for the court or police. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

• Authorizes the Municipal Court of the City of Cornelia to add a technology fee of up to $10.00 to each criminal and quasi-criminal fine.
• Restricts use of the fee money to specific technology purchases for the municipal court and police department, including computers, imaging equipment, body cameras, drones, and 9-1-1 dispatch systems.
• Requires the fee money to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer.
• Requires the segregated account to be subject to audit by an auditor approved by the Cornelia city government.
• Allows the funds to be used to reimburse the city's information technology department for services it provides to the court or police.

People who pay criminal or quasi-criminal fines in the Municipal Court of the City of Cornelia, the court's clerk, the city's chief financial officer, the Cornelia police department, and the city's information technology department.

People fined in Cornelia's municipal court would pay up to $10 more per fine, and that money would fund specific technology upgrades for the court and police, including equipment like body cameras and drones and support for 9-1-1 emergency dispatch.

• Section 1(a) sets the technology fee at up to $10.00 per criminal or quasi-criminal fine, with the exact amount set by the municipal court judge.
• Section 1(a) limits fee spending to three categories: general computer hardware/software, imaging and communications equipment, and police department technology such as cameras, drones, and 9-1-1 systems.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account overseen by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer and subject to audit.
• Section 1(b) permits the funds to reimburse the city's information technology department for services to the court or police.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 589
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-03-31Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-03-31Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-23House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)Primary sponsor
• Chris Erwin (R, HD-032)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 23, 2026

   158 yea, 0 nay (12 not voting, 6 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #739

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   45 yea, 0 nay (5 not voting, 4 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #873

• municipal courts
• court fees
• local government
• police funding
• Cornelia Georgia