Skip to content

Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 188

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: reduction of penalty surcharge when certain fines or forfeitures reduced. (FE)

Court — Fee Fines Forfeiture

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, 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, when a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for certain violations of state law or municipal or county ordinances, a penalty surcharge in the amount of 26 percent of the amount of the fine or forfeiture is also imposed. Current law provides that when a fine or forfeiture is suspended in whole or in part, the penalty surcharge must be reduced in proportion to the suspension. This bill requires the same rule to be applied for reduction of a fine or forfeiture. Under the bill, when a fine or forfeiture to which the penalty surcharge applies is reduced, the penalty surcharge must also be reduced in proportion to the reduction.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Feyen (R)

11 cosponsors

Behnke (R) , Brooks (R) , Knodl (R) , Madison, Phelps and Clancy , Moses (R) , Mursau (R) , Novak (R) , O'Connor (R) , Ratcliff (D) , Sinicki (D) , Wichgers (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 1

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

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

Passed 8–0 May 8, 2025 official source full page

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

Full history

  1. Apr 14, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Feyen; cosponsored by Representatives Brooks, Knodl, Behnke, Moses, Mursau, Novak, Sinicki, Wichgers and O'Connor

  2. Apr 14, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Apr 30, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. May 8, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  5. May 8, 2025 · Senate

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

  6. May 8, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  7. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  8. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  9. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  10. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  11. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Senator Ratcliff added as a coauthor

  12. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  13. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  14. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  16. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  17. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules

  18. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Representatives Madison, Phelps and Clancy added as cosponsors

  19. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  20. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  21. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  22. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  23. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  24. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  25. Jan 20, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  26. Jan 22, 2026 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  27. Apr 2, 2026 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  28. Apr 9, 2026 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 213

  29. Apr 9, 2026 · Senate

    Published 4-9-2026