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HB0192 • 2017
AN ACT relating to court fees; increasing the court automation fee; conforming provisions; providing an exception for state agencies; and providing for an effective date.
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.
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Conference Committee
Plain English: H Adopted, S Adopted Conference Committee
Committee of the Whole • Hicks
Plain English: Adopted Committee of the Whole by Hicks
Standing Committee • SJudiciary
Plain English: Adopted Standing Committee by SJudiciary
Governor Signed HEA No. 0075
Assigned Chapter Number
S President Signed HEA No. 0075
H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0075
Assigned Number HEA No. 0075
S Appointed JCC01 Members
H Appointed JCC01 Members
H Concur:Failed 2-58-0-0-0
H Concur:Rescind original vote pursuant to Mason's §§ 480 to 483 52-8-0-0-0
H Concur:Passed 44-16-0-0-0
H Received for Concurrence
S 3rd Reading:Passed 24-5-1-0-0
S 2nd Reading:Passed
S COW:Passed
S Placed on General File
S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary
S Received for Introduction
H 3rd Reading:Passed 50-10-0-0-0
H 2nd Reading:Passed
H COW:Passed
H Placed on General File
H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations
H09 - Minerals:Recommend Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0
H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals
H Received for Introduction
Bill Number Assigned
Bill Summary Bill No.: HB0192 Effective : 7/1/2017 LSO No.: 17LSO-0608 Enrolled Act No.: HEA No. 0075 Chapter No.: [Chapter Number_RO] Prime Sponsor: Nicholas, B. Catch Title: Court automation fee-2. Subject: Increases court automation fees. Summary/Major Elements: Existing law authorizes the imposition of a court automation fee to be used for the purchase, maintenance and operation of computer hardware and software to enhance the communication, records and management needs of the courts of the judicial branch. Existing law provides for a $10 court automation fee for f iling probate and civil matters in district court , filing civil matters in circuit court and filing petitions in the Wyoming S upreme C ourt . This act increases this fee to $25 ; The act also modifies a provision related to fees for docketing civil matters in district court to be consistent with the Wyoming Rules for Fees and Costs for District Courts. Existing law authorizes cities and towns to prescribe by ordinance a $10 court automation fee as a cost to be paid by every person guilty of a violation of a city or town ordinance. Up to one-half of the fee may be retained by the city or town for the purpose of defraying costs and expenses related to an electronic citation system . This act increases the court automation fee to $25 and specifies up to $10 of the fee may be retained for purposes of the electronic citation system. Existing law requires a court to impose a $10 court automation fee in every criminal case wherein the defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no contest or is placed on probation. This act increases this fee to $25. The act s pecifies that state agencies that are a party to legal proceedings shall not be subject to any court automation fee increase until July 1, 2018. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill .
ORIGINAL House ENGROSSED Bill No . HB0192 ENROLLED ACT NO. 75, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING 2017 General Session AN ACT relating to court fees; increasing the court automation fee; conforming provisions; providing an exception for state agencies; and providing for an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming: Section 1 . W.S. 2 ‑ 2 ‑ 401(a)(iii), 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 202, 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 206(a)(i), (vii) and (x), 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 108(a)(i), 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 204, 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 303, 5 ‑ 9 ‑ 135, 6 ‑ 10 ‑ 102 and 6 ‑ 10 ‑ 103 are amended to read: 2 ‑ 2 ‑ 401 . Schedule; additional charges. (a) For probate matters filed or commenced, the clerk of the district court shall collect fees as follows: (iii) In addition to the original filing fee under paragraph (a)(i) of this subsection, a court automation fee in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) which shall be deposited into the judicial systems automation account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 120; 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 202 . Collection of fees. The clerk of the supreme court shall collect the following fees from the plaintiff in error or appellant, or in case of an original proceeding the plaintiff or relator shall, at the time of filing the petition in error or record on appeal or when commencing the cause in this court, the sum of twenty ‑ five dollars ($25.00). At the time of filing, the clerk also shall collect a court automation fee in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) which shall be deposited into the judicial systems automation account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 120, and an indigent civil legal services fee in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) which shall be deposited into the indigent civil legal services account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 121. Other fees or charges to be assessed within the clerk's office are to be determined under rules of the supreme court . 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 206 . Fees. (a) For all civil matters filed or commenced , the clerk of each district court shall charge the following fees: (i) For filing instruments or documents in each civil action and certifying one (1) copy of any order, decree or judgment at the time of its filing for each party, an original filing fee of seventy dollars ($70.00) eighty ‑ five dollars ($8 5 .00) which shall be paid by the plaintiff. This fee shall apply to original actions commenced and to actions that are reopened after a final decree previously has been entered. Ten dollars ($10.00) Twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) of the filing fee shall be for court automation, ten dollars ($10.00) shall be for indigent civil legal services and both shall be remitted as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205; (vii) For all transcripts in cases appealed to the supreme court , seventy dollars ($70.00) eighty ‑ five dollars ($8 5 .00) , including certificates, seals and transmission. Ten dollars ($10.00) Twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) of the fee under this paragraph shall be for court automation, ten dollars ($10.00) shall be for indigent civil legal services and both shall be remitted as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205; (x) For docketing and in payment of clerk's fee after docketing incident to any appeal or bill of exception from a justice's circuit court, forty dollars ($40.00) eighty ‑ five dollars ($8 5 .00) , and for docketing any transcript of judgment from justice's a circuit court upon the judgment and execution dockets, thirty dollars ($30.00) eighty ‑ five dollars ($8 5 .00) , which amount shall be paid by appellant, or by judgment holder to the clerk at time of docketing. Ten dollars ($10.00) Twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) of any fee imposed under this paragraph shall be for court automation, ten dollars ($10.00) shall be for indigent civil legal services and both shall be remitted as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205. 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 108 . Costs. (a) Each city or town in the state of Wyoming may prescribe by ordinance such costs in all trials before municipal courts as may be necessary or deemed expedient. However, the costs shall not exceed ten dollars ($10.00). All costs collected shall be turned into the treasury of the city or town. By ordinance a city or town may prescribe: (i) A court automation fee of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) as a cost to be paid by every person guilty of a violation of a city or town ordinance; 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 204 . Fines and penalties to be paid to city treasurer; report of cases; failure to comply with section. All fines and penalties collected and arising from a breach of a city ordinance shall be deposited with the city treasurer, and the municipal judge shall report at the end of each calendar month a list of all cases for violations of city ordinances instituted in his court, and the disposition thereof, with a statement of the fines, penalties and costs received. At the end of each month the judge shall deposit with the city treasurer all fines, penalties and costs received. If the municipal judge fails to report and deposit all fines, penalties and costs for a period of twenty ‑ five (25) days, his office shall be declared vacant. If a city enacts an ordinance prescribing a court automation fee as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 108( a)(i), up to one ‑ half (1/2) ten dollars ($ 10 .00) of the fee may be retained by the city solely for the purpose of defraying costs and expenses related to establishing and maintaining an electronic citation system. The system shall collect and submit data in a form and manner prescribed by the supreme court to comply with the requirements of the judicial systems automation account under W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 120. The remaining portion of the fee shall be remitted to the judicial systems automation account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 120. If a city enacts an ordinance prescribing the indigent civil legal services fee as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 108( a)(ii), the fee shall be remitted to the indigent civil legal services account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 121. 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 303 . Disposition of fines and penalties. All fines and penalties collected, arising from a breach of the ordinances of the town, shall be paid into the town treasury. If a town enacts an ordinance prescribing a court automation fee as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 108( a)(i), up to one ‑ half (1/2) ten dollars ($10 .00) of the fee may be retained by the town solely for the purpose of defraying costs and expenses related to establishing and maintaining an electronic citation system. The system shall collect and submit data in a form and manner prescribed by the supreme court to comply with the requirements of the judicial systems automation account under W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 120. The remaining portion of the fee shall be remitted to the judicial systems automation account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 120. If a town enacts an ordinance prescribing an indigent civil legal services fee as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 6 ‑ 108( a)(ii), the fee shall be remitted to the indigent civil legal services account established by W.S. 5 ‑ 2 ‑ 121. 5 ‑ 9 ‑ 135 . Filing fee. For all civil matters the circuit court shall collect from the plaintiff an original filing fee of twenty dollars ($20.00), a court automation fee of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty ‑ five dollars ($25 .00) , and an indigent civil legal services fee of ten dollars ($10.00) excluding small claims civil actions as provided in W.S. 1 ‑ 21 ‑ 201 through 1 ‑ 21 ‑ 205 which shall have a filing fee of ten dollars ($10.00). The court automation fee shall be deposited into the judicial systems automation account and the indigent civil legal services fee shall be deposited into the indigent civil legal services account as provided by W.S. 5 ‑ 9 ‑ 144. 6 ‑ 10 ‑ 102 . Imposition of fine for any felony; maximum fine where not established by statute; court automation fee; indigent civil legal services fee. The court may impose a fine as part of the punishment for any felony. If the statute does not establish a maximum fine, the fine shall be not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00). The court shall impose a court automation fee of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) in every criminal case wherein the defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no contest or is placed on probation under W.S. 7 ‑ 13 ‑ 301. The fee shall be remitted as provided by W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205. In addition to the court automation fee the court shall impose an indigent civil legal services fee of ten dollars ($10.00) in every criminal case wherein the defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no contest or is placed on probation under W.S. 7 ‑ 13 ‑ 301 or 35 ‑ 7 ‑ 1037. The indigent civil legal services fee shall be remitted as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205( a)(ii). 6 ‑ 10 ‑ 103 . Penalties for misdemeanors where not prescribed by statute; court automation fee; indigent civil legal services fee. Unless a different penalty is prescribed by law, every crime declared to be a misdemeanor is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), or both. The court shall impose a court automation fee of ten dollars ($10.00) twenty ‑ five dollars ($2 5 .00) in every criminal case wherein the defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no contest or is placed on probation under W.S. 7 ‑ 13 ‑ 301. The fee shall be remitted as provided by W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205. In addition to the court automation fee the court shall impose an indigent civil legal services fee of ten dollars ($10.00) in every criminal case wherein the defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no contest or is placed on probation under W.S. 7 ‑ 13 ‑ 301. The indigent civil legal services fee shall be remitted as provided in W.S. 5 ‑ 3 ‑ 205( a)(ii). Section 2 . No state agency that is a party to legal proceedings shall be subject to any court automation fee increase pursuant to this act unti l July 1, 2018 and thereafter. Section 3 . This act is effective July 1, 201 7 . (END) Speaker of the House President of the Senate Governor TIME APPROVED: _________ DATE APPROVED: _________ I hereby certify that this act originated in the House. Chief Clerk 1