Legislature approves bill requiring Clerks and Judges to report Passport Fee collections 

The Georgia General Assembly has passed Senate Bill 19, which mandates county clerks and probate judges to report their quarterly collection of passport fees to their county governing bodies. Sponsored by state Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-east Cobb, and state Rep. John Carson, R-northeast Cobb, the bill awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature after receiving overwhelming support in the Senate with a vote of 48-1.

This bill comes as a response to recent scrutiny surrounding reports of clerks in the state, including Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor, retaining substantial personal income from these fees.

In sponsoring the bill, Kirkpatrick emphasized the importance of transparency in addressing the issue of passport fee collection. She hinted at potential regulations in the future once this bill sheds light on the amounts collected by county clerks and probate judges.

It is the practice of clerk’s around the state to retain fees from passport collection, which Taylor adopted when she entered the office. Taylor, a Democrat, collected over $425,000 in just under two years. Her fee collections outpaced those of her predecessor, Republican Keaton. Keaton reportedly opened the passport application office in 2017 and collected about $117,000 over the course of three and a half years. Taylor’s collection of an increased amount of fees sparked the controversy, which led to previous attempts by Kirkpatrick’s to address the issue. Kilpatrick faced opposition from court clerks in other parts of the state who were not supportive of her attempts to force them to share passport fee income with their counties.

As this matter was being discussed, allegations surfaced regarding the destruction of related records. The ensuing investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation into criminal allegations against Taylor remains ongoing.

Taylor’s office has also faced criticism for a backlog in filing processes, which has angered lawyers and judges, with some calling for her to resign. 

The revised version of SB 19, which passed unanimously in the House, prioritizes transparency by requiring disclosure of fee collections. Both Kirkpatrick and Carson assert that this transparency is crucial, especially in metro counties, to inform the public about the amounts collected and retained by clerks. They believe this transparency will promote accountability and address concerns regarding the allocation of these funds.