Carroll County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
Summary
HB 623 is a local act authorizing the Probate Court of Carroll County to assess and collect a technology fee of up to $10 for each civil action filed in that court. The fee amount is set by the probate judge, and the revenue must be used only for specified technology-related purposes supporting court operations.
The bill limits spending to items such as computer hardware and software, equipment installation and maintenance, audio-visual and imaging systems, communications and printing equipment, remote access and support services, digital archiving and record preservation, cloud storage, cybersecurity, and technology training. The funds must be kept in a segregated account by the probate court clerk, and the authority to collect the fee expires on July 1, 2035. Any remaining funds after termination are dedicated to general Carroll County technology uses.
Impact
The bill creates a new county-specific funding mechanism for the Carroll County Probate Court and authorizes a court fee not otherwise available under general law. It affects probate court filing costs for civil actions in Carroll County, establishes restrictions on how the money may be spent, requires segregation of the funds, and sets a sunset date with a residual-funds dedication rule. It also repeals conflicting laws to the extent necessary to implement the local fee authority.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the Georgia House 165-0 and the Senate 53-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. No committee transcript is available, but the voting history suggests strong agreement that the probate court should have a dedicated technology funding source.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the available record. The main policy issue is the imposition of an additional fee on civil filings in Carroll County Probate Court, which could affect court users, but the bill’s narrow scope, spending restrictions, and sunset provision likely reduced opposition. The absence of recorded debate and the unanimous votes suggest no significant disagreement among legislators.
House Substitute for SB 51 by Committee on Legislative Modernization - Authorizing the chief information security officer to receive audit reports, updating statutes related to services provided by the chief information technology officer and authorizing the office of information technology services to provide certain services to political subdivisions and hospitals.