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 sets new fee amounts for several court-related services, 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 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 includes a provision that allows counties to retain the additional revenue generated from these increased fees for their own use, rather than remitting a larger portion to the state. This change is intended to provide counties with more financial resources to support local judicial operations. Furthermore, the bill repeals a specific section of current law related to fee collection, streamlining the process for counties. Overall, Assembly Bill 320 seeks to modernize and adjust court fees to better reflect current economic conditions while providing local governments with greater financial autonomy.

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