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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 443

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: increasing the maximum fee for court costs collectible in a municipal court action. (FE)

Court — Fee Court — Municipal

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, with certain exceptions, the municipal judge in a municipal court action must collect a fee of not less than $15 nor more than $38 on each separate matter. The fee is to be imposed whether there is a default of appearance, there is a plea of guilty or no contest, on issuance of a warrant or summons, or the action is tried as a contested matter. Current law requires that the municipal treasurer pay monthly $5 from each fee received to the secretary of administration for deposit in the general fund and retain the balance for the use of the municipality. The bill increases the maximum fee on each separate matter from $38 to $48.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Allen (R) , Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Brill (R) , Dittrich (R) , Goeben (R) , Gundrum (R) , Kaufert (R) , Kitchens (R) , Maxey (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Steffen (R)

3 cosponsors

Dassler-Alfheim (D) , James (R) , Wanggaard (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 3

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 9, Noes 0

Passed 9–0 Nov 7, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 9, Noes 0

Passed 9–0 Nov 7, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 88–11 Jan 13, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 88

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0

Passed 8–0 Feb 2, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: CONCURRENCE

Passed 32–1 Feb 11, 2026 official source full page

Nay · 1

Full history

  1. Sep 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Kaufert, Gundrum, Maxey, B. Jacobson, Armstrong, Steffen, Allen, Dittrich, Piwowarczyk, Murphy, O'Connor, Mursau, Goeben, Kitchens and Brill; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard and Dassler-Alfheim

  2. Sep 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government

  3. Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 21, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Kaufert

  5. Oct 29, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  7. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  8. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  9. Jan 8, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-13-2026 by Committee on Rules

  10. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to joint committee on Finance

  11. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up

  12. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  13. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 88, Noes 11

  16. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  18. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  20. Jan 28, 2026 · Senate

    Senator James added as a cosponsor

  21. Jan 28, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  22. Feb 2, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  23. Feb 2, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  24. Feb 2, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  25. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  26. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  27. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  28. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  29. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  30. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 32, Noes 1

  31. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  32. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  33. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-12-2026

  34. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  35. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-20-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 113

  36. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 3-21-2026