Senate Bill 182 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Merika ColemanRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Relating to the Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund; expenditure of monies from the fund, creation of additional advanced technology and data exchange funds

Summary

SB182 would create dedicated Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Funds for the Supreme Court, Court of Civil Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals, and allow the Administrative Office of Courts to use these funds for general court operations and technology improvements.

What This Bill Does

It amends existing law to let the Administrative Office of Courts spend the Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund on general operation of the courts, not just specific justice administration. It creates three new funds in the State Treasury to support appellate and trial court administration with technology, data sharing, electronic filing, training, and educational materials. It authorizes the use of credit/debit card payments for court costs and imposes surcharges/transaction fees to cover processing and related costs, while ensuring funds stay within the respective accounts. It also sets rules for data coordination, records transfer, and potential fund transfers between offices, with year-end unspent amounts remaining in the fund, and establishes an effective date of June 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Judicial administration and court staff, including the Administrative Office of Courts and the clerks of circuit and district courts, who gain new authority and funding to cover general court operations and technology needs across the Supreme Court, Court of Civil Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals.
• Court users and the public, along with local/state/federal agencies and members of the bar, who stand to benefit from expanded data sharing, electronic filing capabilities, easier access to records, and new education materials; there may be new surcharges for credit/debit card payments used for court costs

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 12-19-290 to authorize expenditure from the Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund for the general operation of the courts.
• Creates the Supreme Court Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund, the Court of Civil Appeals Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund, and the Court of Criminal Appeals Advanced Technology and Data Exchange Fund, each in the State Treasury.
• Allows funds to be used for activities in the administration of justice, including electronic filing, data coordination/sharing, and training/education of court staff and officials.
• Permits clerks to accept credit/debit cards for payments of court costs and related charges, and imposes surcharges/fees to cover processing and related costs.
• Allows contracts with credit card companies and transfer of money between the Administrative Office of Courts and these funds; unspent money remains in the respective fund at year end.
• Provide procedures to implement these provisions as Rules of Judicial Administration; funding is subject to the Budget Management Act and legislative appropriations.
• Effective date of June 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Courts & Judges