HB348ENROLLED Page 0 HB348 W6VS995-2 By Representative Blackshear (N & P) RFD: Local Legislation First Read: 27-Feb-25 1 2 3 4 5 HB348 Enrolled Page 1 First Read: 27-Feb-25 Enrolled, An Act, Relating to Russell County, to amend Section 45-57-83.40, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for assessment of the probate recording fee. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. Section 45-57-83.40, Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows: "§45–57–83.40 (a) Pursuant to the authority granted by Amendment 380 toSection 57-8.00 of the Constitution of Alabama of 19012022, and subsection (d) of Section 12–19–90 (d), in Russell County, a recording fee of five dollars ($5) shall be paid to the county and collected by the judge of probate , with respect to each instrument that may be filed for record in the office of the judge of probate and for each marriage license issued. No instrument shall be received for record in the office of the judge of probate, and no marriage license shall be issued, unless the recording fee of five dollars ($5) is paid. (b) The county commission, by resolution, may establish the recording fee in an amount not to exceed 10 dollars ($10). The recording fee shall be in addition to all other fees, taxes, and other charges required by law to be paid upon the filing for record of any instrument in the probate office or for issuing any marriage license. (c) All recording fees so collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited by the judge of probate in an account in a bank or other financial institution doing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 HB348 Enrolled Page 2 account in a bank or other financial institution doing business in Russell County , which.The account shall be maintained and managed by the judge of probate and accumulated for the purpose of modernizing the records and record keeping of the probate office, and the funds in the account may be spent at the discretion of the judge of probate. (d) The recording fees collected are not tomay not be used to offset the cost to the county general fund for the general operation of the probate office unless the judge of probate, at his or her sole discretion, declares the funds, or some portion thereof, to be in excess of the amounts needed for the purpose of modernization. (b) The fees provided by this section shall be levied only upon a recorded roll call vote of the county commission and shall be effective for a period of two years from the date the fees become effective. Thereafter, the fees may be extended for additional two-year periods upon a recorded roll call vote of the county commission. (e) The fees collected under this section shall be controlled by the sole discretion of the judge of probate and shall be audited by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts." Section 2. This act shall become effective on October 1, 2025. 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 HB348 Enrolled Page 3 1, 2025. ________________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives ________________________________________________ President and Presiding Officer of the Senate House of Representatives I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and was passed by the House 19-Mar-25. John Treadwell Clerk Senate 10-Apr-25 Passed 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84