Georgia Legislature approves Rep. LaHood’s bill enabling Brooks County court technology fees

A new law spearheaded by state Rep. John LaHood will allow the Brooks County Magistrate Court to collect and allocate technology fees for system enhancements after receiving support in both legislative chambers, according to the Georgia State House.

The measure received final passage by Friday, March 6, with votes tallying 158-0 in the House and 49-0 in the Senate.

Introduced as HB1358 on Wednesday, Feb. 18 during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the bill was officially titled: ‘Brooks County; Magistrate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee.’

The following summary reflects our review of the actual bill text, with explanations provided for clarity.

Essentially, the bill grants the clerk of Brooks County Magistrate Court the authority to impose a technology fee of up to $10 on each civil case filing and as an additional charge on every fine. Fees collected are to be maintained in a designated account and used solely for technology expenses, such as purchasing, leasing, installing and maintaining computer systems, as well as audio-visual, imaging, scanning, communications, projection, recording, and printing equipment. It also covers digitizing and preserving court records for public access. The authority to assess the fee concludes July 1, 2036, after which remaining funds remain assigned to Brooks County technology needs.

Within the House, 63 Democrats and 95 Republicans supported the bill, resulting in zero opposition.

Likewise, the Senate voted unanimously in favor, with 18 Democrats and 31 Republicans backing the measure and no dissenting votes.

LaHood is an Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College graduate, earning a BS in 2000.

LaHood, a Republican, entered the Georgia State House in 2018 for the 175th House District, succeeding former representative Amy Carter.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill into law on Monday, May 11.

In Georgia, the legislative process generally starts when a legislator works with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill, often prompted by a constituent’s request. After being filed with the House Clerk or Senate Secretary, the bill receives its first reading and is referred to a committee, where much of the detailed debate and analysis occur. If the committee approves, it moves to the floor for a third reading, further debate, and a vote. The bill must pass both chambers—sometimes via a conference committee if there are differences—before being sent to the governor, who then has six days during session, or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Georgia General Assembly holds a 40-day annual session starting the second Monday in January.

Information in this article was obtained from the Georgia State House. The source data can be found here.