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-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
+Court automation fees-amendments. 26LSO-0381, 1.0
 
- 1 SF0075
+   SF0075
+FISCAL NOTE
 
-SENATE FILE NO. SF0075
+ FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029
+NON-ADMINISTRATIVE IMPACT
+Anticipated Revenue increase
+Judicial Systems Automation Fund $436,825  $436,825  $441,192
 
-Court automation fees-amendments.
+Source of revenue increase: This bill removes specific amounts in Wyoming Statute
+related to the court automation fee assessed on court filings and provides for the
+Supreme Court to establish the court automation fees by rule. The Supreme Court
+estimates an initial revenue increase in the form of court automation fees to the
+Judicial Systems Automation Fund of $436,825 in FY 2027, $436,825 in FY 2028, and
+$441,192 in FY 2029.
 
-Sponsored by: Senator(s) Olsen, Crago and Nethercott and
-Representative(s) Lawley, Washut and
-Williams
+Assumptions: The Supreme Court’s estimates assume an increase of $5.00 in the court
+automation fee effective July 1, 2026. The Supreme Court indicates a $5.00 fee
+increase generates revenue of approximately $900,000 per biennium. The bill requires
+the fees to be set at an amount necessary to ensure that, to the extent practicable,
+the total revenue generated from the court automation fees collected is sufficient
+to address but not exceed the direct and indirect costs associated with items in
+W.S. 5-2-120(a). The Supreme Court indicated it will carefully consider the
+projected cost to the Judicial Systems Automation Fund to determine the actual
+increase necessary to address but not exceed the direct and indirect costs of the
+fund.
 
-A BILL
+The Office of the Attorney General indicates that the bill will result in an
+indeterminate administrative expenditure increase.
 
-for
+The Department of Family Services Child Support Program is the largest filer with
+the district courts, paying full court fees for approximately 3,000 filings per
+year. While the Department of Family Services has in the past been able to maintain
+its budget for filing fees increases through legislative appropriations, additional
+fee changes may result in increased administrative expenditures.
 
-1 AN ACT relating to courts; amending court automation fees;
-2 establishing a process by which the supreme court may
-3 change the amount of required court automation fees; making
-4 conforming amendments; requiring reports; specifying
-5 applicability; authorizing rulemaking; and providing for
-6 effective dates.
-7
-8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
-9
-10 Section 1.  W.S. 2-2-401(a)(iii), 5-2-120 by creating
-11 a new subsection (e), 5-2-202, 5-3-206(a)(i), (vii) and
-12 (x), 5-6-108(a)(i), 5-9-135, 5-13-202, 6-10-102 and
-13 6-10-103 are amended to read:
-14
-15 2-2-401.  Schedule; additional charges.
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
+The Office of the Public Defender indicates no significant or personnel impact.
 
- 2 SF0075
-
-1
-2 (a)  For probate matters filed or commenced, the clerk
-3 of the district court shall collect fees as follows:
-4
-5 (iii)  In addition to the original filing fee
-6 under paragraph (a)(i) of this subsection, a court
-7 automation fee in the amount of forty dollars ($40.00)
-8 determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e), which shall be deposited
-9 into the judicial systems automation account established by
-10 W.S. 5-2-120;
-11
-12 5-2-120.  Judicial systems automation account created;
-13 purposes; court information technology equipment;
-14 establishment of court automation fees.
-15
-16 (e)  The supreme court shall promulgate rules to
-17 establish the amount of the court automation fee required
-18 to be collected under law, in accordance with all of the
-19 following:
-20
-21 (i)  Fees shall be set at an amount necessary to
-22 ensure that, to the greatest extent practicable, the total
-23 revenue generated from the court automation fees collected
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 3 SF0075
-
-1 is sufficient to address but does not exceed the direct and
-2 indirect costs for items specified in subsection (a) of
-3 this section;
-4
-5 (ii)  Notwithstanding paragraph (i) of this
-6 subsection, the supreme court may establish a separate
-7 court automation fee for chancery courts under W.S.
-8 5-13-202;
-9
-10 (iii)  The supreme court shall maintain records
-11 sufficient to demonstrate that the amount of the court
-12 automation fees established under this subsection comply
-13 with the requirements of this subsection;
-14
-15 (iv)  Not later than October 1 of each year, the
-16 supreme court shall report to the joint judiciary interim
-17 committee and the joint appropriations committee on the
-18 amount of the court automation fee established under this
-19 subsection and the total amount of court automation fees
-20 collected in the immediately preceding fiscal year.
-21
-22 5-2-202.  Collection of fees.
-23
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 4 SF0075
-
-1 The clerk of the supreme court shall collect the following
-2 fees from the plaintiff in error or appellant, or in case
-3 of an original proceeding the plaintiff or relator shall,
-4 at the time of filing the petition in error or record on
-5 appeal or when commencing the cause in this court, the sum
-6 of seventy-five dollars ($75.00). At the time of filing,
-7 the clerk also shall collect a court automation fee in the
-8 amount of fifty-five dollars ($55.00) determined under W.S.
-9 5-2-120(e), which shall be deposited into the judicial
-10 systems automation account established by W.S. 5-2-120, and
-11 an indigent civil legal services fee in the amount of ten
-12 dollars ($10.00) which shall be deposited into the indigent
-13 civil legal services account established by W.S. 5-2-121.
-14 Other fees or charges to be assessed within the clerk's
-15 office are to be determined under rules of the supreme
-16 court.
-17
-18 5-3-206.  Fees.
-19
-20 (a)  For all civil matters filed or commenced,  the
-21 clerk of each district court shall charge the following
-22 fees:
-23
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 5 SF0075
-
-1 (i)  For filing instruments or documents in each
-2 civil action and certifying one (1) copy of any order,
-3 decree or judgment at the time of its filing for each
-4 party, an original filing fee of one hundred sixty dollars
-5 ($160.00) one hundred twenty dollars ($120.00), plus a
-6 court automation fee in the amount determined under W.S.
-7 5-2-120(e), which shall be paid by the plaintiff.  This fee
-8 shall apply to original actions commenced and to actions
-9 that are reopened after a final decree previously has been
-10 entered. Forty dollars ($40.00) The amount of the filing
-11 court automation fee determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e) shall
-12 be for court automation, ten dollars ($10.00) of the filing
-13 fee shall be for indigent civil legal services and both
-14 shall be remitted as provided in W.S. 5-3-205;
-15
-16 (vii)  For all transcripts in cases appealed to
-17 the supreme court, one hundred dollars ($100.00) sixty
-18 dollars ($60.00), plus a court automation fee in the amount
-19 determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e), including certificates,
-20 seals and transmission. Forty dollars ($40.00) The court
-21 automation fee under this paragraph determined under W.S.
-22 5-2-120(e) shall be for court automation, ten dollars
-23 ($10.00) of the transcript fee shall be for indigent civil
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 6 SF0075
-
-1 legal services and both shall be remitted as provided in
-2 W.S. 5-3-205;
-3
-4 (x)  For docketing and in payment of clerk's fee
-5 after docketing incident to any appeal or bill of exception
-6 from a circuit court, one hundred dollars ($100.00) sixty
-7 dollars ($60.00), plus a court automation fee in the amount
-8 determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e), and for docketing any
-9 transcript of judgment from a circuit court upon the
-10 judgment and execution dockets, one hundred dollars
-11 ($100.00) sixty dollars ($60.00), plus a court automation
-12 fee in the amount determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e), which
-13 amount shall be paid by appellant, or by judgment holder to
-14 the clerk at time of docketing. Forty dollars ($40.00) The
-15 amount of any court automation fee imposed under this
-16 paragraph shall be for court automation, ten dollars
-17 ($10.00) of the filing fee shall be for indigent civil
-18 legal services and both shall be remitted as provided in
-19 W.S. 5-3-205.
-20
-21 5-6-108.  Costs.
-22
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 7 SF0075
-
-1 (a)  Each city or town in the state of Wyoming may
-2 prescribe by ordinance such costs in all trials before
-3 municipal courts as may be necessary or deemed expedient.
-4 However, the costs shall not exceed ten dollars ($10.00).
-5 All costs collected shall be turned into the treasury of
-6 the city or town. By ordinance a city or town may
-7 prescribe:
-8
-9 (i)  A court automation fee of forty dollars
-10 ($40.00) in the amount determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e) as
-11 a cost to be paid by every person guilty of a violation of
-12 a city or town ordinance;
-13
-14 5-9-135.  Filing fee.
-15
-16 For all civil matters, the circuit court shall collect from
-17 the plaintiff an original filing fee of twenty dollars
-18 ($20.00), a court automation fee of forty dollars ($40.00),
-19 in the amount determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e) and an
-20 indigent civil legal services fee of ten dollars ($10.00)
-21 excluding small claims civil actions as provided in W.S.
-22 1-21-201 through 1-21-205, which shall have a filing fee of
-23 ten dollars ($10.00). The court automation fee shall be
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 8 SF0075
-
-1 deposited into the judicial systems automation account and
-2 the indigent civil legal services fee shall be deposited
-3 into the indigent civil legal services account as provided
-4 by W.S. 5-9-144.
-5
-6 5-13-202.  Collection of fees.
-7
-8 The clerk of the chancery court shall collect all fees and
-9 charges as required and set by the supreme court under W.S.
-10 5-13-104(b). At the time of the original filing, the clerk
-11 also shall collect a court automation fee in the amount of
-12 one hundred dollars ($100.00) determined under W.S.
-13 5-2-120(e) or (e)(ii), which shall be deposited into the
-14 judicial systems automation account established by W.S.
-15 5-2-120, and an indigent civil legal services fee in the
-16 amount of ten dollars ($10.00), which shall be deposited
-17 into the indigent civil legal services account established
-18 by W.S. 5-2-121.
-19
-20 6-10-102.  Imposition of fine for any felony; maximum
-21 fine where not established by statute; court automation
-22 fee; indigent civil legal services fee.
-23
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 9 SF0075
-
-1 The court may impose a fine as part of the punishment for
-2 any felony. If the statute does not establish a maximum
-3 fine, the fine shall be not more than ten thousand dollars
-4 ($10,000.00). The court shall impose a court automation fee
-5 of forty dollars ($40.00) in the amount determined under
-6 W.S. 5-2-120(e) in every criminal case wherein the
-7 defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no
-8 contest or is placed on probation under W.S. 7-13-301. The
-9 fee shall be remitted as provided by W.S. 5-3-205.  In
-10 addition to the court automation fee the court shall impose
-11 an indigent civil legal services fee of ten dollars
-12 ($10.00) in every criminal case wherein the defendant is
-13 found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no contest or is
-14 placed on probation under W.S. 7-13-301 or 35-7-1037.  The
-15 indigent civil legal services fee shall be remitted as
-16 provided in W.S. 5-3-205(a)(ii).
-17
-18 6-10-103.  Penalties for misdemeanors where not
-19 prescribed by statute; court automation fee; indigent civil
-20 legal services fee.
-21
-22 Unless a different penalty is prescribed by law, every
-23 crime declared to be a misdemeanor is punishable by
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 10 SF0075
-
-1 imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6)
-2 months, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars
-3 ($750.00), or both. The court shall impose a court
-4 automation fee of forty dollars ($40.00) in the amount
-5 determined under W.S. 5-2-120(e) in every criminal case
-6 wherein the defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of
-7 guilty or no contest or is placed on probation under W.S.
-8 7-13-301. The fee shall be remitted as provided by W.S.
-9 5-3-205.  In addition to the court automation fee the court
-10 shall impose an indigent civil legal services fee of ten
-11 dollars ($10.00) in every criminal case wherein the
-12 defendant is found guilty, enters a plea of guilty or no
-13 contest or is placed on probation under W.S. 7-13-301.  The
-14 indigent civil legal services fee shall be remitted as
-15 provided in W.S. 5-3-205(a)(ii).
-16
-17 Section 2.  This act shall apply to all new cases,
-18 matters, proceedings and filings initially filed on and
-19 after July 1, 2026.
-20
-21 Section 3.  The supreme court may take any action
-22 necessary to implement this act.
-23
-2026 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0381
-
- 11 SF0075
-
-1 Section 4.
-2
-3 (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
-4 section, this act is effective July 1, 2026.
-5
-6 (b)  Sections 3 and 4 of this act are effective
-7 immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a
-8 bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of
-9 the Wyoming Constitution.
-10
-11 (END)
+Prepared by:   Pierre Chesnais, LSO  Phone: 777-7881
+(Information provided by Claire Smith, Supreme Court, 777-7502; April
+Christensen, Attorney General's Office, 777-7840; Brandon Booth, Public Defenders
+Office, 777-7519; Kristie Gordy, Department of Family Services, 777-6031)