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WI SB333
WI SB333Increasing certain court fees and surcharges and indexing those amounts for inflation. (FE)
summary
Introduced
06/19/2025
06/19/2025
In Committee
02/03/2026
02/03/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill 1) increases various court fees and surcharges collected by clerks of court, municipal judges, and registers in probate, 2) increases certain court fees paid to witnesses, interpreters, supplemental court commissioners, court reporters, sheriffs, and appraisers, and 3) indexes these and some other fee and surcharge amounts for inflation. For mileage reimbursement rates that are increased under the bill, the bill sets those rates at the rate determined by the federal Internal Revenue Service for the business standard mileage rate for federal income tax purposes. Under current law, a county must submit a portion of each amount the county collects, as specified in current law, to the Department of Administration for various state uses, and the county may retain the balance for use by the county. The bill generally provides for the county to retain for use by the county the additional amounts collected as a result of the increases in the bill. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
AI Summary
This bill increases various court fees and surcharges across multiple aspects of the Wisconsin court system, significantly raising costs for filing, processing, and service-related activities. The bill introduces a mechanism to automatically adjust these fees for inflation every five years starting in 2030, using the U.S. consumer price index. Some notable fee increases include: criminal action filing fees rising from $163 to $239, civil action commencement fees increasing from $75 to $190, witness fees jumping from $5 to $17 per day, and service of process fees increasing from $12 to $33. The bill also replaces fixed mileage rates with the federal standard mileage rate determined by the Internal Revenue Service. Most of these additional fees will be split between the county and state, with a portion going to the state's general fund. The changes aim to update fee structures that have remained static for some time, potentially providing more resources for court operations. The bill is set to take effect on the first day of the seventh month after its publication.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance, Justice
Sponsors (17)
Van Wanggaard (R)*,
Scott Allen (R),
David Armstrong (R),
Elijah Behnke (R),
Lindee Brill (R),
Robert Brooks (R),
Barbara Dittrich (R),
Robert Donovan (R),
Joy Goeben (R),
Brent Jacobson (R),
Joel Kitchens (R),
Dave Maxey (R),
Paul Melotik (R),
Jeff Mursau (R),
Jerry O'Connor (R),
Jim Piwowarczyk (R),
David Steffen (R),
Last Action
Available for scheduling (on 02/03/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb333 |
| SB333 ROCP for Joint Committee on Finance | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/records/joint/finance/1970218.pdf |
| SB333 ROCP for Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety On 2/2/2026 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/records/senate/judiciary_and_public_safety/1969593.pdf |
| Analysis - LC Amendment Memo | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/lcamendmentmemos/2025/REG/SB333.pdf |
| Senate Substitute Amendment 2 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB333-SSA2.pdf |
| Senate Substitute Amendment 1 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB333-SSA1.pdf |
| Fiscal Note - SB333: Fiscal Estimate From CTS | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/fe/sb333/sb333_cts.pdf |
| BillText | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2025/REG/SB333.pdf |
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