House and Senate approve Rep. Ford’s Tift County court technology fee bill

A measure introduced by State Rep. Jaclyn Ford has cleared both the House and Senate, granting Tift County courts the ability to impose a technology fee designed to finance technology upgrades, according to the Georgia State House.

The legislation received final passage on Tuesday, Feb. 17, earning 165-0 approval in the House and a 48-1 vote in the Senate.

Filed as HB939 on Monday, Jan. 12, during the 2026 session of the 158th General Assembly, the bill is formally titled: ’Tift County; State Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee’.

The summary below is based on the actual bill text, with explanatory notes included for clarification.

The bill authorizes the State Court of Tift County clerk to assess a technology fee up to $5 for each civil case filing, as well as a surcharge on each fine. Funds collected must be kept in a separately audited account and used exclusively for distinct court technology projects, such as computer equipment, related services, imaging and communications systems, and digitization of records for public access. The law’s authority for the fee ends July 1, 2035; any remaining amounts may then be used for Tift County’s broader technology needs.

Within the House, 73 Democrats and 92 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposition.

The Senate vote included 19 Democrats and 29 Republicans in support, with just one Republican opposed.

The legislation had the support of co-sponsor Rep. Angie O’Steen (Republican-169th).

Ford is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Ford, a Republican, has represented the 170th District in the Georgia State House since 2025, serving as the successor to Penny Houston.

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

Georgia’s legislative process starts when a lawmaker, often prompted by a constituent, drafts a bill with the help of the Office of Legislative Counsel. After it is filed with the appropriate chamber’s clerk, the bill is read, assigned to committee, and, upon committee approval, is then debated and voted on by the full body. For enactment, both chambers must approve—sometimes reconciling differences in a conference committee—before sending the bill to the governor. The governor then has six days during the session, or 40 days after final adjournment, to sign, veto, or allow it to become law without a signature. The General Assembly meets for 40 days each year starting the second Monday of January.

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