Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive 15 R cosponsors

AB 443 — Relating to: increasing the maximum fee for court costs collectible in a municipal court action. (FE)

Last action — Published 3-21-2026

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced September 19, 2025. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 17 sponsors

    1 primary, 16 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (15 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 5 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

An Act to amend 814.65 (1) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

36 added · 8 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Assembly Bill 443 increases the maximum fee for court costs in municipal court actions from $38 to $48. This fee is charged in various situations, such as when there's a default of appearance or a guilty plea. Additionally, there was a minor wording change, substituting "judge" with "judge court" in a couple of lines. This matters because the increase in fees could help municipalities cover their costs better and provide necessary resources, while the wording change clarifies the terminology used in the bill.

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Latest
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0494/1 SWB:emw ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 443 October 21, 2025 - Offered by RepresentatAUFERT.
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-2463/1 SWB:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 443 September 19, 2025 - Introduced by RepresentativAUFERT , UNDRUM , MAXEY, B.
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
J ACOBSON , ARMSTRONG , S TEFFEN, A LLEN, DITTRICH, P IWOWARCZYK , M URPHY , O'ONNOR , MURSAU, GOEBEN, KITCHENS and BRILL, cosponsored by Senators WANGGAARD and DASSLER-ALFHEIM .
1.
Referred to Committee on Local Government.
Page 2, line 2:
A N A CT to amend 814.65 (1) of the statutes;
delete XjudgeY and substitute Xjudge courtY.
relating to:
2.
increasing the maximum fee for court costs collectible in a municipal court action.
Page 2, line 6:
Analysis by the 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.
delete XjudgeY and substitute Xjudge courtY.
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.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
S ECTION 1.
814.65 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
814.65 (1) COURT COSTS.
In a municipal court action, except for a financial - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2463/1 SWB:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 443 S ECTION 1 responsibility violation under s.
344.62 (2) or for a violation of an ordinance in conformity with s.
343.51 (1m) (b) or 347.48 (2m), the municipal judge shall collect a fee of not less than $15 nor more than $38 $48 on each separate matter, whether it is on default of appearance, a plea of guilty or no contest, on issuance of a warrant or summons, or the action is tried as a contested matter.
Of each fee received by the judge under this subsection, the municipal treasurer shall pay monthly $5 to the secretary of administration for deposit in the general fund and shall retain the balance for the use of the municipality.
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Action History

  1. Published 3-21-2026

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

  3. Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  4. Report correctly enrolled on 2-12-2026

  5. Received from Senate concurred in

  6. Ordered immediately messaged

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

  8. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  9. Ordered to a third reading

  10. Read a second time

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

  12. Fiscal estimate received

  13. Available for scheduling

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

  15. Executive action taken

  16. Public hearing held

  17. Senator James added as a cosponsor

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

  19. Received from Assembly

  20. Ordered immediately messaged

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

  22. Rules suspended

  23. Ordered to a third reading

  24. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  25. Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up

  26. Referred to joint committee on Finance

  27. Read a second time

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

  29. Referred to committee on Rules

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

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

  32. Executive action taken

  33. Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Kaufert

  34. Public hearing held

  35. Read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government

  36. 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

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 16 co-sponsors · 115 not signed on · 11 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (16)

Not signed on (115)

115 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 115 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Read a third time and concurred in

Passed 32 Yea · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 18000
Democrat 11100
Unaffiliated 3000
Total 32100
% of votes cast 97%3%0%0%
How each member voted (33)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Yea
DASSLER-ALFHEI — Yea
HABUSH SINYKIN — Yea
Carpenter, Tim Democrat Yea
Drake, Dora Democrat Yea
Hesselbein, Dianne Democrat Yea
Keyeski, Sarah Democrat Yea
Larson, Chris Democrat Nay
Pfaff, Brad Democrat Yea
Ratcliff, Melissa Democrat Yea
Roys, Kelda Democrat Yea
Smith, Jeff Democrat Yea
Spreitzer, Mark Democrat Yea
Wall, Jamie Democrat Yea
Wirch, Robert Democrat Yea
Bradley, Julian Republican Yea
Cabral-Guevara, Rachael Republican Yea
Felzkowski, Mary Republican Yea
Feyen, Dan Republican Yea
Hutton, Rob Republican Yea
Jacque, André Republican Yea
Jagler, John Republican Yea
James, Jesse Republican Yea
Kapenga, Chris Republican Yea
LeMahieu, Devin Republican Yea
Marklein, Howard Republican Yea
Nass, Steve Republican Yea
Quinn, Romaine Republican Yea
Stafsholt, Rob Republican Yea
Testin, Patrick Republican Yea
Tomczyk, Cory Republican Yea
Wanggaard, Van Republican Yea
Wimberger, Eric Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Read a third time and passed

Passed 88 Yea · 11 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 53000
Democrat 331000
Unaffiliated 2100
Total 881100
% of votes cast 89%11%0%0%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Yea
MOORE OMOKUNDE — Nay
SPEAKER — Yea
Anderson, Clinton Democrat Yea
Andraca, Deb Democrat Yea
Arney, Margaret Democrat Yea
Bare, Mike Democrat Yea
Billings, Jill Democrat Yea
Brown, Brienne Democrat Yea
Clancy, Ryan Democrat Nay
Cruz, Angelina Democrat Nay
DeSanto, Karen Democrat Yea
DeSmidt, Ben Democrat Yea
Doyle, Steve Democrat Yea
Emerson, Jodi Democrat Yea
Fitzgerald, Joan Democrat Yea
Goodwin, Russell Democrat Yea
Haywood, Kalan Democrat Yea
Hong, Francesca Democrat Nay
Hysell, Andrew Democrat Yea
Jacobson, Jenna Democrat Yea
Joers, Alex Democrat Yea
Kirsch, Karen Democrat Yea
Madison, Darrin Democrat Nay
Mayadev, Renuka Democrat Yea
McCarville, Maureen Democrat Yea
McGuire, Tip Democrat Yea
Miresse, Vincent Democrat Yea
Neubauer, Greta Democrat Yea
Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia Democrat Yea
Palmeri, Lori Democrat Yea
Phelps, Christian Democrat Nay
Prado, Priscilla Democrat Yea
Rivera-Wagner, Amaad Democrat Yea
Roe, Ann Democrat Yea
Sheehan, Joe Democrat Nay
Sinicki, Christine Democrat Yea
Snodgrass, Lee Democrat Nay
Spaude, Ryan Democrat Nay
Stroud, Angela Democrat Yea
Stubbs, Shelia Democrat Yea
Subeck, Lisa Democrat Nay
Taylor, Sequanna Democrat Yea
Tenorio, Angelito Democrat Nay
Udell, Randy Democrat Yea
Vining, Robyn Democrat Yea
Allen, Scott Republican Yea
Armstrong, David Republican Yea
August, Tyler Republican Yea
Behnke, Elijah Republican Yea
Born, Mark Republican Yea
Brill, Lindee Republican Yea
Brooks, Robert Republican Yea
Callahan, Calvin Republican Yea
Dallman, Alex Republican Yea
Dittrich, Barbara Republican Yea
Donovan, Bob Republican Yea
Duchow, Cindi Republican Yea
Franklin, Benjamin Republican Yea
Goeben, Joy Republican Yea
Green, Chanz Republican Yea
Gundrum, Rick Republican Yea
Gustafson, Nate Republican Yea
Hurd, Karen Republican Yea
Jacobson, Brent Republican Yea
Kaufert, Dean Republican Yea
Kitchens, Joel Republican Yea
Knodl, Daniel Republican Yea
Kreibich, Rob Republican Yea
Krug, Scott Republican Yea
Kurtz, Tony Republican Yea
Maxey, Dave Republican Yea
Melotik, Paul Republican Yea
Moses, Clint Republican Yea
Murphy, David Republican Yea
Mursau, Jeffrey Republican Yea
Nedweski, Amanda Republican Yea
Neylon, Adam Republican Yea
Novak, Todd Republican Yea
O'Connor, Jerry Republican Yea
Penterman, William Republican Yea
Petersen, Kevin Republican Yea
Piwowarczyk, Jim Republican Yea
Pronschinske, Treig Republican Yea
Rodriguez, Jessie Republican Yea
Snyder, Patrick Republican Yea
Sortwell, Shae Republican Yea
Spiros, John Republican Yea
Steffen, David Republican Yea
Summerfield, Rob Republican Yea
Swearingen, Rob Republican Yea
Tittl, Paul Republican Yea
Tranel, Travis Republican Yea
Tucker, Duke Republican Yea
Tusler, Ron Republican Yea
VanderMeer, Nancy Republican Yea
Wichgers, Chuck Republican Yea
Wittke, Robert Republican Yea
Zimmerman, Shannon Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety finance
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 443 do?
An Act to amend 814.65 (1) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 443?
AB 443 is sponsored by Wanggaard, Dassler-Alfheim, Kaufert, Dean (Republican), Gundrum, Rick (Republican), Maxey, Dave (Republican), Jacobson, Brent (Republican), Armstrong, David (Republican), Steffen, David (Republican), Allen, Scott (Republican), Dittrich, Barbara (Republican), Piwowarczyk, Jim (Republican), Murphy, David (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Mursau, Jeffrey (Republican), Goeben, Joy (Republican), Kitchens, Joel (Republican), and Brill, Lindee (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 443?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced September 19, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 443?
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