The bill amends several sections of the General Laws in Chapter 10-16, which pertains to "Small Claims and Consumer Claims." It introduces a new filing fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for plaintiffs, replacing the previous fee of fifty-five dollars ($55.00). This fee is inclusive of a civil case processing fee and a technology surcharge, with twenty dollars ($20.00) allocated to a small claims mediation restricted-receipt account to fund mediation services.

The bill requires both plaintiffs and defendants to file written waivers of the right to appeal, with specific provisions for compulsory counterclaims. The maximum amount for a compulsory counterclaim has been increased from two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) to five thousand dollars ($5,000).

Additionally, the bill outlines the appeal process for defendants, allowing them the same rights as in ordinary civil actions, with a filing fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for appeals. If a plaintiff is appealing a counterclaim, they must also pay the same appeal filing fee. Notably, if a plaintiff, as a consumer product purchaser, wins by default against a defendant who fails to respond, the judgment will be final, and the defendant will lose the right to appeal. This act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.