Newspaper publication and typeface for certain legal notices, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4279/1
KRP&MED:ajk&skw

2025 SENATE BILL 440
September 29, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Quinn, Marklein, Pfaff, Roys and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Novak, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Mursau, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Roe, Swearingen, Tranel, Wichgers, Johnson and Palmeri. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government.

An Act to repeal 35.35 (1) (a); to renumber 35.35 (1) (b); to amend 13.92 (1) (b) 3. a., 35.17 (1) and 985.08 (2) (a) of the statutes; relating to: newspaper publication and typeface for certain legal notices.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, certain legal notices are required by statute or by order of a court to be published in a newspaper. Currently, legal notices must be published in Arial typeface, and a standard line rate applies for all publications. This bill requires that legal notices be published in a sans serif typeface, rather than Arial specifically.
The bill also repeals obsolete language regarding newspaper publication of proposed constitutional amendments and other resolutions.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 13.92 (1) (b) 3. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
13.92 (1) (b) 3. a. Promptly after the passage of any bill, any joint resolution amending the constitution, or any other resolution determined by the chief clerks to
require enrollment and, in the case of a bill, before it is presented to the governor for approval, the chief clerk of the house in which the measure originated shall deliver the jacket to the bureau, which shall enroll the proposal and return the jacket and the required number of copies, including a camera-ready copy of any proposed constitutional amendment and each resolution requiring newspaper publication, to the chief clerk. The camera-ready original of the enrolled proposal shall be retained in the bureau.
Section 2. 35.17 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
35.17 (1) In enrolling under s. 13.92 (1) (b) 3. and for publishing under ss. 35.095, and 35.15, and 35.35 (1) (a), the legislative reference bureau shall correct minor clerical errors. No such correction shall be deemed an alteration of the enrolled copy.
Section 3. 35.35 (1) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
Section 4. 35.35 (1) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 35.35 (1).
Section 5. 985.08 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
985.08 (2) (a) All legal notices shall be in Arial type face a sans serif typeface. A standard line shall be a 6-point Arial sans serif typeface on a 6-point leading without spacing between the lines, and 11 picas in length. One inch equals 6 postscript pica and 72 postscript points. Nonstandard line lengths shall be allowed with adjustments in fees according to variations in line length. When the person or agency that places the notice elects not to use a 6-point Arial sans serif typeface, a larger Arial sans serif typeface up to 12 point may be used; in which case adjustment shall be made in line rate, proportionately decreasing for sizes of type over 6-point to produce the same net average compensation per column area. Such
adjustments shall be evaluated by the department of administration, which shall certify the same to any newspaper, public official, or other interested party upon request, and such certification shall be presumptive evidence of the correct adjustments.
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