S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 622.72, Code 2015, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 622.72 Expert witnesses —— fee fees . 3 Witnesses called to testify only to an opinion founded on 4 special study or experience in any branch of science, or to 5 make scientific or professional examinations and state the 6 result thereof, shall receive additional compensation fees , 7 to be fixed by the court, with reference to the value of the 8 time employed and the degree of learning or skill required; 9 but such additional compensation fees shall not exceed one 10 hundred fifty two thousand five hundred dollars per day while 11 so employed. A party seeking approval of expert witness fees 12 under this section shall make an application to the court for 13 a fair, reasonable fee, to be awarded as court costs upon the 14 direction of the court, not to exceed the amount specified in 15 this section. 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 Under current law, the maximum fee an expert witness may 20 receive is $150 per day. This bill sets the maximum additional 21 fees an expert witness may receive at $2,500 total. The court 22 determines the amount of the expert witness fee. The bill 23 requires a party seeking the approval of expert fees to apply 24 to the court for a fair, reasonable fee, not to exceed the 25 $2,500 maximum. 26 -1- LSB 1449XC (4) 86 jh/rj 1/ 1