Assembly Bill 320 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, it amends several sections of the statutes to raise specific fees, such as increasing the filing fee for criminal actions from $163 to $239, and the fee for commencing civil actions from $75 to $190. Additionally, the bill introduces new provisions for annual fee adjustments based on the U.S. consumer price index, ensuring that these fees will be indexed for inflation every five years starting in 2030.

The bill also includes a repeal of a specific provision regarding fee remittance to the Department of Administration, allowing counties to retain additional amounts collected from the increased fees for their own use. This change is intended to provide counties with more financial resources. Overall, Assembly Bill 320 seeks to modernize and adjust court fees to better reflect current economic conditions while also ensuring that counties benefit from the increased revenue generated by these changes.

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