LRB-3042/1
SWB:all
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
May 17, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives Tusler, Rettinger, Brandtjen,
Murphy, Mursau, Snyder and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senators Jacque
and Wimberger. Referred to Committee on State Affairs.
AB280,1,2 1An Act to create chapter 798 of the statutes; relating to: statutory recognition
2of specialized treatment court and commercial court dockets.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill statutorily recognizes specialized dockets for treatment courts and for
commercial cases. The bill recognizes in statute treatment courts, which are defined
in the bill to include adult drug treatment court, juvenile drug treatment court,
operating while intoxicated treatment court, mental health treatment court, family
dependency treatment court, veterans treatment court, hybrid treatment court, and
tribal healing to wellness court.
The bill also statutorily recognizes a specialized docket for commercial cases.
Under the bill, the chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, taking into
consideration recommendations from the relevant chief judges of the judicial
administrative districts, must select circuit court judges who will be assigned to the
commercial court docket upon each judge's agreement to serve. The bill provides that
a judge who presides over cases on the commercial court docket is not prohibited from
working on any other assigned docket.
Under the bill, certain commercial case types must be assigned to the
commercial court docket, including cases involving any of the following: 1) the
governance or internal affairs of business organizations; 2) tortious or statutorily
prohibited business activity, unfair competition, or antitrust claims; 3) the sale,
consolidation, or merger of a business organization or the conversion, share
exchange, or sale of substantially all of the assets of a business organization; 4) the
issuance, sale, or transfer of securities; 5) intellectual property rights; 6) the

relationship between a franchisor and franchisee or similar distribution
relationship; 7) certain claims or disputes involving the Uniform Commercial Code,
when the amount in controversy exceeds $100,000; (8) receiverships in excess of
$250,000; (9) confirmation of arbitration awards and compelling or enforcing
arbitration awards when the amount in controversy exceeds $100,000; and (10) real
estate construction disputes when the amount in controversy exceeds $250,000. The
bill provides that certain types of cases are ineligible for assignment to the
commercial court docket, including small claims cases, cases involving a
governmental entity or political subdivision seeking to enforce a statutory or
regulatory restriction or prohibition, or disputes between landlords and tenants.
The commercial court docket created under the bill is a commercial case docket
that generally involves disputes between commercial entities rather than
individuals and does not include actions typically involving individuals such as
personal injury suits, products liability, malpractice, or other tort claims, or landlord
and tenant disputes or similar claims. Under the bill, parties may jointly move for
discretionary assignment of a case to the commercial court docket if the case is one
that is not identified under the mandatory criteria, but is not otherwise ineligible for
assignment. The bill provides that a decision granting or denying a motion for a
discretionary assignment of a case to the commercial court docket is final and
nonappealable.
The bill also allows that parties to a case that is filed in a judicial administrative
district that does not have a dedicated commercial court docket may, in certain
circumstances, jointly petition for transfer of the case to a commercial court docket.
Under the bill, no party may withdraw a request for transfer to the commercial court
docket after a judicial assignment of the case has been made.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB280,1 1Section 1 . Chapter 798 of the statutes is created to read:
AB280,2,32 Chapter 798
3 specialty courts
AB280,2,4 4798.01 Legislative findings. The legislature finds all of the following:
AB280,3,4 5(1) Specialized dockets for treatment courts and for commercial cases have
6existed in this state and across the country for a number of years in recognition of
7the fact that the interests of justice in general, and of litigants in particular, are
8substantially enhanced when judges and other court personnel commit to take

1specific training in the subject matter areas of a particular specialized docket and
2then apply that training and expertise to the unique issues before the court. The use
3of specialized dockets increases efficiencies and improve outcomes in the handling
4of these cases.
AB280,3,8 5(2) The commercial court docket has existed in this state for 5 years as a pilot
6project in a number of counties and judicial districts and has been shown to reduce
7substantially the time it takes to obtain a decision and increase the level of
8satisfaction of the parties with the results in commercial disputes.
AB280,3,16 9798.05 Treatment court dockets. (1) Purpose; authority. The purpose of
10this section is to statutorily recognize specialized dockets for treatment courts.
11Treatment courts are designed to operate within the framework of the existing state
12court system and specifically address underlying issues relating to criminal
13behavior. Treatment courts provide treatment while working with a
14multidisciplinary team to deploy a range of graduated rewards and sanctions with
15the goal of engaging participants in treatment long enough to successfully address
16any addiction or mental health issues and end the cycle of recidivism.
AB280,3,17 17(2) Definition. In this section, “treatment court” includes any of the following:
AB280,3,1818 (a) Adult drug treatment court.
AB280,3,1919 (b) Juvenile drug treatment court.
AB280,3,2020 (c) Operating while intoxicated treatment court.
AB280,3,2121 (d) Mental health treatment court.
AB280,3,2222 (e) Family dependency treatment court.
AB280,3,2323 (f) Veterans treatment court.
AB280,3,2424 (g) Hybrid treatment court.
AB280,3,2525 (h) Tribal healing to wellness court.
AB280,4,7
1798.15 Commercial court docket. (1) Purpose; authority. The purpose of
2this section is to statutorily recognize a specialized docket for commercial cases in
3state circuit courts. The commercial court docket is designed to operate within the
4framework of the existing state court system with minimal impact on the balance of
5court operations. It is intended to leverage judicial expertise in commercial law and
6disputes with commercial litigants' desire to tailor case management practices best
7suited for resolving substantial business disputes fairly and expeditiously.
AB280,4,8 8(2) Definitions. In this section:
AB280,4,149 (a) “Business organization” includes a sole proprietorship, corporation,
10partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, professional
11association, benefits corporation, service corporation, joint venture, bank, savings
12bank, savings and loan association, or business trust. A “business organization”
13excludes an individual, a family trust, or a political subdivision or governmental
14entity.
AB280,4,1615 (b) “Consumer contract or transaction” means a consumer contract or
16transaction that is primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.
AB280,4,22 17(3) Scope. (a) The commercial court procedures outlined in this section apply
18to judicial administrative districts that have established specialized dockets for
19commercial cases on the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], and
20to any commercial court docket established after the effective date of this paragraph
21.... [LRB inserts date], beginning on the date that docket is established. Courts with
22specialized dockets for commercial cases shall be referred to as the commercial court.
AB280,5,323 (b) 1. The chief justice of the supreme court, after considering the
24recommendation of the chief judge of the encompassing judicial administrative
25district, shall select the circuit court judges in the judicial administrative districts

1who will be assigned to the commercial court docket upon each judge's agreement to
2so serve. The chief justice of the supreme court shall select at least all of the following
3to participate in the commercial court under this section:
AB280,5,54 a. No fewer than 4 circuit court judges within the 2nd judicial administrative
5district.
AB280,5,76 b. No fewer than 4 circuit court judges within the 3rd judicial administrative
7district.
AB280,5,98 c. No fewer than 4 circuit court judges within the 5th judicial administrative
9district.
AB280,5,1110 d. No fewer than 4 circuit court judges within the 8th judicial administrative
11district.
AB280,5,1312 e. No fewer than 4 circuit court judges within the 10th judicial administrative
13district.
AB280,5,1514 f. No fewer than 4 circuit court judges within any judicial administrative
15district that adds a commercial court docket.
AB280,5,1716 2. A judge who presides in a commercial court docket is not prohibited from
17working on any other assigned docket.
AB280,5,2018 3. The chief justice of the supreme court may add additional judicial
19administrative districts to the commercial court docket upon the recommendation of
20the director of state courts.
AB280,5,24 21(4) Mandatory assignment of cases to the commercial court docket. (a) Any
22case of a type described under par. (b) that is filed in a circuit court in which a
23commercial court docket has been established shall be assigned to the commercial
24court docket as provided under sub. (7).
AB280,6,2
1(b) The commercial court shall have jurisdiction over any of the following types
2of cases:
AB280,6,43 1. Cases involving the governance or internal affairs of business organizations,
4including any of the following:
AB280,6,55 a. Claims between or among owners or constituents of a business organization.
AB280,6,66 b. Claims against officers, directors, or managers of a business organization.
AB280,6,87 c. Claims involving the indemnity of owners, officers, directors, or managers
8of a business organization.
AB280,6,119 d. Claims involving the interpretation of the rights and obligations under the
10law governing business organizations, such as chs. 178 to 181, 183, 185, 204, 214,
11215, and 221 to 223, or any similar statute or law from another jurisdiction.
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