House and Senate approve Rep. Burchett’s Ware County probate court tech fee bill

A measure sponsored by State Rep. James Burchett, which permits the Ware County probate court to impose technology fees to support court technology upgrades, has secured approval in both the House and Senate, as reported by the Georgia State House.

The legislation passed both chambers on Wednesday, March 25, with a 153-0 vote in the House and a 50-0 vote in the Senate.

Filed as HB1539 on Thursday, March 12, during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the bill was officially described as: ’Ware County; Probate Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee’.

The summary below is based on the actual bill text and is intended to clarify key points of the legislation.

Essentially, the bill authorizes the Ware County probate court clerk to collect a technology fee, not exceeding $10, on each civil filing and as an additional charge on each fine at the discretion of the probate judge. The proceeds must be held in a dedicated account for the court’s technology-related projects, including the acquisition, leasing, installation and maintenance of computer hardware and software, as well as imaging, scanning, fax, communications, projection and printing equipment and associated software. The authority to levy the fee expires July 1, 2036; any remaining balance after that date is designated for general technology initiatives in Ware County under direction of the county commission.

Within the House, the measure received yes votes from 65 Democrats and 88 Republicans, with no votes against.

In the Senate, 19 Democrats and 31 Republicans voted for the bill, also with no opposition recorded.

Burchett, who graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BS in 2005 and earned his JD from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2017, sponsored the measure.

A Republican, Burchett began serving in the Georgia State House in 2019 after succeeding former representative Jason Shaw in the 176th District.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill into law on Tuesday, May 12.

In Georgia, the legislative process starts when a legislator, often after a resident’s request, collaborates with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. Once filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the bill receives a first reading and is referred to committee for consideration. If advanced, it goes to the floor for a third reading, debate, and a vote. For enactment, legislation must pass both chambers (sometimes through a conference committee if versions differ) before heading to the governor. The governor has six days during session—or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die)—to sign, veto, or allow the measure to become law without a signature. The Georgia General Assembly meets each year for a 40-day session starting on the second Monday in January.

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