HB 132: Council of Municipal Court Judges; office of senior municipal court judge; provide

Georgia law currently governs the Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia but has no statewide category for retired municipal judges. HB132 amends O.C.G.A. § 36-32-40 and adds a new Code Section 36-32-42 to create the office of senior municipal court judge. A former municipal court judge, or a former judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction, could apply for senior judge status if they served at least ten years and are no longer an active municipal court judge. The council's president would review applications and decide within 30 days. To hold the title, an applicant generally must keep up mandatory judicial training, be licensed to practice law in Georgia, and be an active member of the State Bar of Georgia, though former judges without a law license may still qualify under separate criteria. Senior judges would not have to pay training fees and would not be required to actually sit as a judge to keep their privileges. The bill also protects existing local laws that already created senior judge positions for specific city courts.

• Creates a new statewide title, 'senior municipal court judge,' for retired municipal court judges who meet service and licensing requirements.
• Adds senior municipal court judges to the membership of the Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia alongside sitting municipal judges.
• Sets a 10-year minimum service requirement and requires the council president to approve or deny applications within 30 days.
• Waives support and registration fees for mandatory judicial training for senior judges, while leaving other training costs to the judge.
• Allows senior judges to receive judicial amenities and privileges without being required to actually preside over cases.
• Preserves any existing local laws or city ordinances that already created a senior judge position for a particular municipal court.

Retired or former municipal court judges in Georgia, especially those with ten or more years of service, the Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia and its president, and municipalities that have already created their own local senior judge positions.

The bill gives long-serving municipal judges a formal way to retain judicial status, training benefits, and privileges after leaving the bench, without an obligation to keep hearing cases, which could affect how municipalities recognize and support retired judges statewide.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 36-32-40 to add senior municipal court judges to the council's membership.
• Section 2 creates new Code Section 36-32-42, establishing the senior municipal court judge office and its application process, with a 30-day decision deadline for the council president.
• Subsection (b) requires senior judges to complete mandatory training, hold a Georgia law license, and remain in good standing with the State Bar, with an exception process for judges without a law license.
• Subsection (c) exempts senior judges from paying support or registration fees for mandatory training, though other training costs still apply.
• Subsection (d) grants senior judges the amenities and privileges of other Georgia judges without requiring them to sit as a judge.
• A second subsection labeled (d) clarifies that the new state law does not override existing local laws or ordinances that already created senior judge positions for specific municipal courts.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-02-26House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-01-29House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-01-28House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-01-27House Hopper (House)

• Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)Primary sponsor
• Mary Margaret Oliver (D, HD-84)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-19)
• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)
• Tyler Paul Smith (R, HD-18)
• Arlene Beckles (D, HD-96)

• municipal courts
• judges and courts
• local government
• judicial retirement