LRB-0802/1
RPN:bjk:md
2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
April 2, 2009 - Introduced by Representatives Krusick, Gottlieb, Richards,
Sinicki, Ballweg, Townsend
and Grigsby, cosponsored by Senators Plale,
Darling, Carpenter, Lehman, Olsen, Schultz
and Taylor. Referred to
Committee on Corrections and the Courts.
AB182,1,3 1An Act to amend 565.30 (5r) (a), 565.30 (5r) (b), 778.30 (1) (intro.) and 800.09
2(1) (intro.); and to create 800.09 (1) (d) of the statutes; relating to: assignment
3of income, prizes, and earnings to pay a municipal court judgment.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, if a person fails to pay a judgment ordered by a municipal
court, the court may do any of the following:
1. Defer any payment of the judgment for a period of time.
2. Allow the person to pay the judgment by making installment payments.
3. Order the person to perform community service work in lieu of paying the
judgment.
4. Suspend the person's driving privileges until the judgment is paid, including
taking possession of the person's license to drive.
This bill adds another option to the court, allowing the court to issue an order
assigning not more than 25 percent of the person's earnings, worker's compensation,
pension, and other money due to the person, such as lottery prizes, to pay an unpaid
judgment. The bill allows the municipal court to use the same procedures, notices,
and penalties that the circuit court utilizes for persons who are the subject of a circuit
court-ordered assignment. The bill also adds municipal court judgments to those
judgments that may be collected in circuit court.

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:
AB182, s. 1 1Section 1. 565.30 (5r) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB182,2,52 565.30 (5r) (a) Annually, the administrator shall provide each municipal court
3and
clerk of circuit court in the state with a list of the winners or assignees of a lottery
4prize that is payable in installments. The list shall include each winner or assignee
5since the date of the previous list.
AB182, s. 2 6Section 2. 565.30 (5r) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB182,3,37 565.30 (5r) (b) Subject to par. (c), if the administrator receives a notice under
8s. 778.30 (2) (a), 800.09 (1) (d), or 973.05 (5) (a) or 778.30 (2) (a) of the assignment of
9lottery prizes under s. 778.30 (2) (a), 800.09 (1) (d), or 973.05 (4) (c) or 778.30 (1) (c)
10and determines that the person subject to the assignment is a winner or assignee of
11a lottery prize that is payable in installments, the administrator shall withhold the
12amount of the judgment that is the basis of the assignment from the next installment
13payment. The administrator shall submit the withheld amount to the court that
14issued the assignment. At the time of the submittal, the administrator shall charge
15the administrative expenses related to that withholding and submittal to the winner
16or assignee of the lottery prize and withhold those expenses from the balance of the
17installment payment. The administrator shall notify the winner or assignee of the
18reason that the amount is withheld from the installment payment. If the initial
19installment payment is insufficient to pay the judgment and administrative
20expenses, the administrator shall withhold and submit to the court an amount from
21any additional installment payments until the judgment and administrative

1expenses are paid in full and the assignment is no longer in effect. The
2administrative expenses received by the department shall be credited to the
3appropriation under s. 20.566 (1) (h).
AB182, s. 3 4Section 3. 778.30 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB182,3,105 778.30 (1) (intro.) In addition to the procedures under s. 23.795 or 345.47 or
6under this chapter for the collection of forfeitures, costs, assessments, surcharges,
7municipal court judgments,
or restitution payments if a defendant fails to pay the
8forfeiture, costs, assessment, surcharge, municipal court judgment, or restitution
9payment within the period specified by the circuit court, the court may do any of the
10following:
AB182, s. 4 11Section 4. 800.09 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB182,3,1812 800.09 (1) Judgment. (intro.) If a municipal court finds a defendant guilty, it
13may render judgment by ordering restitution under s. 800.093 and payment of a
14forfeiture, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814. The court shall
15apply any payment received on a judgment that includes restitution to first satisfy
16any payment of restitution ordered, then to pay the forfeiture, costs, fees, and
17surcharges. If the judgment is not paid, the court may proceed under par. (a), (b), or
18(c), or (d) or any combination of those paragraphs, as follows:
AB182, s. 5 19Section 5. 800.09 (1) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB182,3,2120 800.09 (1) (d) 1. In this paragraph, "employer" includes the state and the
21political subdivisions of the state.
AB182,4,222 2. The court may issue an order assigning not more than 25 percent of the
23defendant's commissions, earnings, salaries, wages, pension benefits, benefits under
24ch. 102, and other money due or to be due in the future, including lottery prizes, to

1the municipal court for payment of the unpaid restitution, forfeiture, costs, fees, or
2surcharges.
AB182,4,153 3. Upon entry of the assignment under subd. 2., unless the court finds that
4income withholding is likely to cause the defendant irreparable harm, the court shall
5provide notice of the assignment by regular mail to the last-known address of the
6person from whom the defendant receives or will receive money. If the municipal
7court does not receive the money from the person notified, the court shall provide
8notice of the assignment to any other person from whom the defendant receives or
9will receive money. Notice of an assignment under subd. 2. shall inform the intended
10recipient that, if a prior assignment under subd. 2. or s. 778.30 (1) or 973.05 (4) has
11been received relating to the same defendant, the recipient is required to notify the
12municipal court that sent the subsequent notice of assignment that another
13assignment has already been received. A notice of assignment shall include a form
14permitting the recipient to designate on the form that another assignment has
15already been received.
AB182,4,2316 4. If, after receiving the annual list under s. 565.30 (5r) (a), the municipal court
17determines that a person identified in the list may be subject to an assignment under
18subd. 2., the court shall send the notice of that order to the administrator of the
19lottery division of the department of revenue, including a statement of the amount
20owed under the judgment and the name and address of the person owing the
21judgment. The municipal court shall notify the administrator of the lottery division
22of the department of revenue when the judgment that is the basis of the assignment
23has been paid in full.
AB182,4,2524 5. Notice under this paragraph may be a notice of the court, a copy of the
25executed assignment or a copy of that part of the court order that directs payment.
AB182,5,4
16. For each payment made under the assignment under subd. 2., the person
2from whom the defendant under the order receives money shall receive an amount
3equal to the person's necessary disbursements, not to exceed $3, which shall be
4deducted from the money to be paid to the defendant.
AB182,5,165 7. A person who receives notice of the assignment under this paragraph shall
6withhold the amount specified in the notice from any money that person pays to the
7defendant later than one week after receipt of the notice of assignment. Within 5
8days after the day on which the person pays money to the defendant, the person shall
9send the amount withheld to the municipal court of the jurisdiction providing notice.
10If the person has already received a notice of an assignment under this paragraph
11or s. 778.30 (2) or 973.05 (5), the person shall retain the later assignment and
12withhold the amount specified in that assignment after the last of any prior
13assignments is paid in full. Within 10 days of receipt of the later notice, the person
14shall notify the municipal court that sent the notice that the person has received a
15prior notice of an assignment under subd. 2. Section 241.09 does not apply to
16assignments under this paragraph.
AB182,5,2317 8. If after receipt of notice of assignment under this paragraph the person from
18whom the defendant receives money fails to withhold the money or send the money
19to the municipal court as provided in this paragraph, the person may be proceeded
20against under the principal action under s. 800.12 for contempt of court or may be
21proceeded against under ch. 778 and be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more
22than an amount, if the amount exceeds $50, that is equal to 1 percent of the amount
23not withheld or sent.
AB182,6,324 9. If an employer who receives notice of an assignment under this paragraph
25fails to notify the municipal court within 10 days after an employee is terminated or

1otherwise temporarily or permanently leaves the employer's employment, the
2employer may be proceeded against under the principal action under s. 800.12 for
3contempt of court.
AB182,6,74 10. Compliance by the person from whom the defendant receives money with
5the order operates as a discharge of the person's liability to the defendant as to that
6portion of the defendant's commission, earnings, salaries, wages, benefits, or other
7money so affected.
AB182,6,158 11. No employer may use an assignment under subd. 2. as a basis for the denial
9of employment to a defendant, the discharge of an employee, or any disciplinary
10action against an employee. An employer who denies employment or discharges or
11disciplines an employee in violation of this subdivision may be fined not more than
12$500 and may be required to make full restitution to the aggrieved person, including
13reinstatement and back pay. Restitution shall be in accordance with s. 973.20. An
14aggrieved person may apply to the district attorney or to the department of workforce
15development for enforcement of this subdivision.
AB182,6,1616 12. a. In this subdivision, "payroll period" has the meaning given in s. 71.63 (5).
AB182,6,2217 b. If after an assignment is in effect the defendant's employer changes its
18payroll period, or the defendant changes employers and the new employer's payroll
19period is different from the former employer's payroll period, the municipal court
20may amend the withholding assignment or order so that the withholding frequency
21corresponds to the new payroll period and the amounts to be withheld reflect the
22adjustment to the withholding frequency.
AB182,6,2523 13. The municipal court shall provide notice of the amended withholding
24assignment or order under subd. 12. by regular mail to the defendant's employer and
25to the defendant.
AB182, s. 6
1Section 6. Initial applicability.
AB182,7,32 (1) This act first applies to judgments entered on the effective date of this
3subsection.
AB182, s. 7 4Section 7. Effective date.
AB182,7,65 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 4th month beginning after
6publication.
AB182,7,77 (End)
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