HB1548: HB1548 Clarkesville, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to the Municipal Court of the City of Clarkesville. It authorizes the court clerk to charge and collect a technology fee, set by the municipal court judge, of no more than $10.00, added as a surcharge to each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court. The money collected can only be used for specific technology needs of the municipal court and the city's police department, such as buying, leasing, maintaining, and installing computer hardware and software, and equipment used for case management, data storage, imaging, scanning, faxing, communications, projections, and printing. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer, and are subject to audit by an auditor approved by the city's governing authority. The funds may also be used to pay the city's information technology department for services it provides to the court or police department. The bill also repeals any conflicting laws.

• Authorizes the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Clarkesville to charge a technology fee of up to $10.00 on each criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court.
• Lets the municipal court judge set the exact fee amount, up to the $10.00 cap.
• Limits use of the fee revenue to specific technology purchases, leases, maintenance, and installation for the court and the city's police department.
• Requires the fee money to be kept in a segregated account managed by the court clerk and the city's chief financial officer, subject to audit.
• Allows fee funds to reimburse the city's information technology department for services it provides to the court or police department.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with this new authorization.

This bill affects people who are fined by the Municipal Court of the City of Clarkesville for criminal or quasi-criminal offenses, the court's clerk and judge, the city's chief financial officer, the city's police department, and the city's information technology department.

People fined in Clarkesville's municipal court could pay up to $10 more per fine, money that would go toward the court's and police department's computers, software, and related equipment rather than the city's general fund, potentially improving case processing and communications technology.

• Section 1(a) authorizes the court clerk to charge and collect a technology fee, capped at $10.00, as a surcharge on criminal and quasi-criminal fines, with the amount set by the municipal court judge.
• Section 1(a) restricts use of the fee to computer hardware and software purchases, leases, maintenance, and installation, and to case management, data storage, imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection, and printing equipment.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be kept in a segregated account overseen by the clerk and the city's chief financial officer, subject to audit by a city-approved auditor.
• Section 1(b) allows the funds to reimburse the city's information technology department for services to the court or police department.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 588
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-07House 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

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 court fees
• Clarkesville city government
• court technology funding
• local government fines