House Bill 491 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ed OliverRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Tallapoosa County; remote access of records fee authorized

Summary

HB491 would let Tallapoosa County charge a remote-access fee for probate records and use the money to run and improve the probate office.

What This Bill Does

It authorizes the Tallapoosa County Judge of Probate to charge and collect an additional fee for remote access to probate records by electronic means. The collected fees go into a special indexing fund controlled by the judge to be used for the office's maintenance, operation, and improvements, including the recording system and remote-access services. The judge has discretion to decide how these funds are used for general operations and technology needs. The act also ratifies prior fee collections and becomes effective on June 1, 2026; it applies only in Tallapoosa County.

Who It Affects

• Tallapoosa County Judge of Probate’s office, which gains authority to collect the new fee and manage the accompanying funds.
• People who access probate records remotely in Tallapoosa County, who would pay the new remote-access fee.

Key Provisions

• Section 2(a): The Tallapoosa County Judge of Probate may charge and collect an additional fee for remote access of records in the office by computer or other electronic or digital system.
• Section 2(b): Fees collected must be deposited into the special indexing fund of the Tallapoosa County Judge of Probate (or successor fund) and used for maintenance, operation, and improvement of the office, including the recording system and remote-access services.
• Section 2(c): The judge of probate has discretion to determine the appropriate use of these funds for the office's general operation, technology needs, or improvements.
• Section 3: The collection and expenditure of fees for remote access prior to the act’s effective date are ratified and confirmed.
• Section 4: The act becomes effective on June 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Tallapoosa County