Terrell County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee
Summary
HB701 is a local act authorizing the Probate Court of Terrell County to impose a technology fee of up to $5 on each civil filing and up to $5 as a surcharge on each criminal fine in the probate court. The bill also extends that same authority to the magistrate court when the probate judge is serving as the magistrate judge, allowing the clerk to collect the fee in those proceedings as well.
The bill specifies that all revenue from the fee must be used only for technological needs of the Terrell County Probate Court. Permitted uses include computer hardware and software, related maintenance and installation, audiovisual and imaging equipment, communications and printing equipment, and digitizing court records and archives for public access. The funds must be kept in a segregated account and are subject to audit by an auditor approved by the county governing authority.
Impact
HB701 creates a county-specific funding mechanism for Terrell County court technology by authorizing new court fees and dedicating the proceeds to specified technology-related expenses. It affects the Probate Court directly and, in certain circumstances, the Magistrate Court, while also establishing accounting, audit, and use restrictions for the collected funds. The authority to collect the fee expires on July 1, 2035, and any remaining funds after termination are dedicated to general Terrell County technology uses.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 169-0 and the Senate 52-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests there was little public or legislative dispute over the measure.
Contention
No notable contention is reflected in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issue is the imposition of additional filing and fine surcharges on court users, but the unanimous votes suggest that lawmakers did not view the fee as controversial, likely because the revenue is narrowly dedicated to court technology improvements and the measure is limited to Terrell County.
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.