Senate Bill 333 proposes significant changes to various court fees and surcharges in Wisconsin. The bill aims to increase fees collected by clerks of court, municipal judges, and registers in probate, as well as fees paid to witnesses, interpreters, and other court-related personnel. Notably, the bill sets new fee amounts, such as increasing the filing fee for criminal actions from $163 to $239, and the fee for civil actions from $75 to $190. Additionally, it introduces a mechanism for indexing these fees for inflation every five years, ensuring that they remain aligned with the U.S. consumer price index.

The bill also modifies the distribution of collected fees, allowing counties to retain a larger portion of the increased amounts for local use. For example, the percentage of fees retained by the county treasurer from certain filings has been adjusted, with some fees now requiring a smaller percentage to be sent to the state. Furthermore, the bill repeals a specific provision regarding fee collection, streamlining the process for counties. Overall, Senate Bill 333 aims to modernize and increase the financial resources available to the court system while providing counties with greater flexibility in managing these funds.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 59.32(1), 59.32, 814.60(1), 814.60, 814.61(1)(a), 814.61, 814.61(1)(b), 814.61(3), 814.61(4), 814.61(5)(am)(intro.), 814.61(6), 814.61(7)(a), 814.61(7)(b), 814.61(9), 814.61(11), 814.61(12)(a)1, 814.61(12)(c), 814.61(13), 814.61(13m), 814.61(14), 814.615(1)(a)2, 814.615