Georgia House bill proposes $10 court technology fee in Forest Park

A bill sponsored by State Rep. Rhonda Burnough is under consideration in the Georgia House to support technology upgrades for Forest Park’s municipal court and police department, per the Georgia State House.

Known as HB1553 and introduced on Monday, March 16 at the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the measure is officially titled: ’Forest Park, City of; Municipal Court; authorize assessment and collection of a technology fee.’

Based on the actual bill text, here’s an overview, with some clarifying interpretation.

The bill gives the clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Forest Park the authority to impose a technology fee of up to $10 as a surcharge on each criminal and quasi-criminal fine. The collected fee is to be deposited in a separate account and used solely for technology expenses of the municipal court and police department, such as computer hardware, software, imaging and communication devices, evidence management tools, and specialized police technologies—cameras, license plate readers, and drones. Funds may also cover other technology that bolsters public safety and reimburse the city’s IT department for related services, subject to judge approval after discussing with court and police officials.

The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Yasmin Neal (Democrat-79th) and Rep. Sandra Scott (Democrat-76th).

Burnough has introduced two other measures since the start of this session.

Burnough earned a BA from Southern University in 1976.

Burnough, a Democrat, was first elected to represent Georgia’s 77th House District in 2017, succeeding state representative Darryl Jordan.

In Georgia, the legislative process starts when a legislator, sometimes responding to a constituent 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 measure receives its initial reading and is referred to the appropriate committee for review and discussion. If it moves out of committee, it goes to the floor for a third reading, debate, and chamber vote. A bill must clear both chambers—sometimes requiring a conference committee to resolve differences—before heading to the governor. During the session, the governor has six days to act on a bill, or 40 days after session adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or let it become law without signature. The Georgia General Assembly convenes each year for a 40-day 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.