HB999, sponsored by Rep. Leverett, establishing magistrate court fee caps and clarifying nonpartisan election rules, approved by both Georgia chambers

A new law sponsored by State Rep. Rob Leverett caps magistrate court fees, clarifies legislative intent on nonpartisan magistrate elections, and corrects a prior drafting error, according to the Georgia State House.

The measure was approved in both the House and Senate on Thursday, April 2, clearing the House with a 167-0 vote and the Senate with a 48-1 result.

Introduced as HB999 on Thursday, Jan. 15 during the 2026 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, the bill was officially titled: ’Magistrate courts; collecting sums and fees authorized by law; revise provisions’.

The summary below is derived from the official bill language and may include clarifications for readability.

This legislation updates magistrate court fee provisions by capping civil filing deposits at $22, requiring plaintiffs to pay actual service costs up to the sheriff’s fee, instituting a $4 charge for issuing a writ of fieri facias, and confirming that the losing party is responsible for costs while maintaining additional amounts that are legally required. The bill also clarifies legislative intent and addresses a drafting error in a 2025 law on the nonpartisan election of magistrates—refining its automatic repeal so that, if a related constitutional amendment for nonpartisan probate judges is not ratified by Jan. 1, 2027, only the section amending Code Section 21-2-139 is repealed.

In the House, 71 Democrats and 96 Republicans supported the bill, with no votes in opposition.

For the Senate, 20 Democrats and 28 Republicans voted in favor, while one Republican opposed the legislation.

Co-sponsors of the bill included Rep. Stacey Evans (Democrat-57th), Rep. Stan Gunter (Republican-8th), Rep. Kimberly New (Republican-40th), and three additional co-sponsors.

Rep. Leverett graduated from Dartmouth College in 1986 with a BA and earned his JD from the University of Georgia.

Leverett, a Republican, was elected to the Georgia State House in 2023 to serve the 123rd House District, succeeding former representative Mark Newton.

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

In Georgia, the legislative process starts with a lawmaker, often prompted by a constituent, working with the Office of Legislative Counsel to create a bill draft. After filing with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the bill is read for the first time and sent to a committee for discussion and evaluation. If it passes committee review, it proceeds to a third reading, further debate, and a final vote. Passage in both chambers—sometimes after reconciliation via conference committee—is required before the bill moves to the governor for signature. The governor has six days during session, or up to 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die), to sign, veto, or let the bill become law without a signature. The Georgia General Assembly meets annually for 40 days starting the second Monday in January.

Information in this article was sourced from the Georgia State House. The original data is available here.