HB 1021: Courts; increase amount of funds the authority is authorized to retain for administrative costs

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-5) lets a state authority that collects certain court fines and fees keep a small share of that money each year to cover its own administrative costs, with the rest sent on to the state's general fund and to programs like the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund and the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund. Currently the authority can keep 1 percent of the funds it collects, but no more than $500,000 in a fiscal year, for those administrative costs. This bill would raise that dollar cap to $1 million per fiscal year, while keeping the 1 percent limit and all the other distribution rules the same. The bill does not change how the remaining, non-administrative money is divided among the state treasury and the various trust funds and victim programs.

• Raises the yearly cap on administrative funds the authority may retain from $500,000 to $1 million, while keeping the existing 1 percent limit in place.
• Leaves unchanged the rule that net proceeds after administrative costs go to the state general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance programs.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new cap.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which administers collection of certain court fees and fines, and the state programs that rely on the money it passes through, including the state general fund, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance programs.

A higher cap means the authority could keep more money each year to cover its own operating costs before sending the rest along. That could mean somewhat less money flowing to the general fund and victim and injury trust funds if the authority's administrative costs actually rise to use the new cap.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-5(a) to change the administrative cost cap from $500,000 to $1 million per fiscal year.
• Section 1 keeps the existing rule that the authority may retain no more than 1 percent of funds received under Code Sections 15-21A-3 and 15-21A-6.
• Section 1 leaves unchanged the distribution of remaining net proceeds among the general fund, the Crime Victims Emergency Fund, the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, and local victim assistance under Code Section 15-21-132.
• Section 2 repeals any laws in conflict with the Act.

1. 2026-02-20House Committee Favorably Reported (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2026-01-29House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2026-01-28House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2026-01-27House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)Patrocinador principal
• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Mary Oliver (D, HD-084)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)

• court fees
• state budget
• victim assistance funding
• courts administration