Assembly Bill 514 proposes to amend existing statutes to authorize the addition of four new circuit court branches in Wisconsin, specifically one each in Brown County, Menominee and Shawano Counties, and Kenosha County, with implementation dates set for August 1, 2027, and August 1, 2028. The bill also provides for the creation of numerous positions within the court and criminal justice system, including judges, court reporters, assistant district attorneys, and assistant state public defenders, with specific numbers and timelines outlined for each position. The bill mandates that the director of state courts, district attorneys, and the public defender board include requests for funding for these positions in their biennial budget requests for 2027-29.

In terms of legal language changes, the bill amends sections of the statutes to reflect the new branch counts for Kenosha County, Brown County, and Menominee and Shawano Counties, increasing the number of branches from eight to nine in Brown County and Kenosha County, and from two to three in Menominee and Shawano Counties. The bill also requires a report to be submitted to the legislature by December 31, 2032, analyzing workload and personnel needs for the operations of the courts and criminal justice system.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 753.06(2)(a), 753.06, 753.06(8)(a), 753.06(9)(h)