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SB 150

Court fees; allocating additional $10 docket fee to the State General Fund

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Greg Albritton

Alabama increases court docket fees by $10 per filing, redirecting revenue to the state general fund instead of court operations.

Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund
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Bill Summary · SB 150

Legislative bill overview

SB 150 increases court docket fees in Alabama by $10 per case filing, directing this additional revenue to the State General Fund rather than to court operations. The bill modifies existing fee structures to generate additional state revenue from judicial proceedings across the court system.

Why is this important

Court fees directly affect access to justice—higher fees can discourage people from pursuing legitimate legal claims, particularly lower-income individuals. The revenue generated becomes available for general state spending, meaning courts may not see reinvestment of these funds despite handling increased administrative burden. This represents a shift in how court systems are financed and who bears that cost.

Potential points of contention

  • Access to justice concerns: Higher filing fees may deter legitimate legal claims, debt collection defenses, and family law cases, disproportionately affecting lower-income Alabamians
  • Court funding disconnect: Fees collected from courts are diverted to general revenue rather than improving court infrastructure and operations, potentially creating service backlogs
  • Regressive taxation effect: Court fees function as a form of user tax that impacts those with fewer resources more severely than wealthy litigants

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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