HB1569: HB1569 McDonough, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee

This bill applies only to the City of McDonough. It authorizes the clerk of the city's Municipal Court to add a technology fee, set by the municipal court judge, of no more than $15.00 as a surcharge on every criminal and quasi-criminal fine paid to the court. The money collected can only be used for specific purposes: buying, leasing, or maintaining computers, software, imaging and communication equipment, body cameras, license plate readers, drones, and other public safety or court technology. The funds must be kept in a separate account managed by the city's finance officer and the court clerk, spent only with approval from the mayor or city administrator, and can also reimburse the city's IT department for related work. The fee applies only after a conviction, a no-contest plea, or a final case disposition, and cannot be charged if a case is dismissed or dropped.

• Authorizes the Municipal Court of the City of McDonough to charge a technology fee of up to $15.00 as a surcharge on criminal and quasi-criminal fines.
• Lists specific allowed uses for the fee money, including computer hardware and software, body cameras, license plate readers, drones, and other public safety technology.
• Requires the collected funds to be kept in a separate account managed by the city's finance officer and the court clerk, apart from other city funds.
• Requires that fee spending be directed by the mayor or city administrator and limits fee assessment to cases ending in conviction, a no-contest plea, or final disposition.
• Bars the fee from being charged in cases that are dismissed or nolle prossed (formally dropped by the prosecutor).

This bill affects people convicted of, pleading no contest to, or otherwise facing final disposition of criminal or quasi-criminal charges in the City of McDonough's Municipal Court, as well as the city's court clerk, finance office, and public safety and information technology departments.

People fined in McDonough's Municipal Court would pay up to $15 more per case, funding technology like body cameras, license plate readers, and drones for local police and the court, while people whose cases are dismissed would not pay the fee.

• Section 1(a) sets the technology fee cap at $15.00 per fine, with the exact amount set by the municipal court judge.
• Section 1(a) restricts fee revenue to technology needs of the Municipal Court and the city's public safety services, listing six categories of allowed spending, including SaaS platforms, evidence management systems, and emerging public safety technology.
• Section 1(b) requires the funds to be held in a segregated account by the city's chief financial officer or finance director and the court clerk, spent only with mayor or city administrator direction, and allows reimbursement of the city's IT department.
• Section 1(c) limits the fee to cases resulting in conviction, a nolo plea, or final disposition, and bars the fee for dismissed or nolle prossed cases.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-05-11
2. 2026-05-11Act 601
3. 2026-05-11House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2026-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2026-03-27Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2026-03-27House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)Primary sponsor
• Noelle Kahaian (R, HD-081)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2026

   153 yea, 0 nay (20 not voting, 3 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #772

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #927

• municipal courts
• court fees
• public safety technology
• McDonough
• local legislation