---
title: HB 1513. Fayette County; State Court; change compensation of judge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1513
cite_as: HB 1513, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1513
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1513.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1513/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73916
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1512.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 898
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1513.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1513
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-06-01
sponsors:
  - Josh Bonner
  - Karen Mathiak
  - Debra Bazemore
  - Derrick Jackson
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1513/2025
upstream_id: 2129473
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Fayette County
  - state court judges
  - local government salaries
  - county government
---

# HB 1513. Fayette County; State Court; change compensation of judge

## Text

House Bill 1513 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Bonner of the 73rd, Mathiak of the 82nd, Bazemore of the 69th, and
Jackson of the 68th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend an Act creating the State Court of Fayette County, approved April 13, 1994
(Ga. L. 1994, p. 4980), as amended, particularly by an Act approved April 25, 2022 (Ga. L.
2022, p. 5856), so as to change the compensation of the judge; to change the compensation
of the solicitor; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
An Act creating the State Court of Fayette County, approved April 13, 1994 (Ga. L. 1994,
p. 4980), as amended, particularly by an Act approved April 25, 2022 (Ga. L. 2022, p. 5856),
is amended by revising Section 17 as follows:
"SECTION 17.
(a) The judge of the State Court of Fayette County shall receive a base salary in an amount
equal to $175,844.82. Such base salary may be supplement as provided by general or local
law. Such compensation shall be paid in equal monthly instalments from the funds of
Fayette County.
(b) In addition to the compensation provided for in subsection (a) of this section, the judge
shall receive additional compensation in an amount equal to 5 percent of the amount
provided for in subsection (a) of this section multiplied by the number of completed
four-year terms of office served by the judge, provided that such terms have been
completed after July 1, 2022. The additional compensation provided for in this subsection
shall be effective for a particular judge on the first day of January following the completion
of each such four-year term of office."
SECTION 2.
Said Act is further amended by revising Section 21 as follows:
"SECTION 21.
(a) The solicitor of the State Court of Fayette County shall receive a base salary in an
amount equal to $154,605.20. Such base salary may be supplemented as provided by
general or local law. Such compensation shall be paid in equal monthly installments from
the funds of Fayette County.
(b) In addition to the compensation provided for in subsection (a) of this section, the
solicitor shall receive additional compensation in an amount equal to 5 percent of the
amount provided for in subsection (a) of this section multiplied by the number of
completed four-year terms of office served by the solicitor, provided that such terms have
been completed after July 1, 2022. The additional compensation provided for in this
subsection shall be effective for a particular solicitor on the first day of January following
the completion of each such four-year term of office."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on the first day of the month following the month in which
it is approved by the Governor or becomes law without such approval.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A House bill would raise the base salaries of the State Court of Fayette County judge and solicitor and set a formula for periodic longevity increases tied to completed four-year terms.

### Plain-language summary

This bill amends the 1994 Act that created the State Court of Fayette County to update how much the court's judge and solicitor are paid. It sets the judge's base salary at $175,844.82 per year and the solicitor's base salary at $154,605.20 per year, both paid monthly from Fayette County funds.
Beyond the base salary, both officials would get additional pay equal to 5 percent of their base salary for each completed four-year term served after July 1, 2022. That extra pay kicks in on January 1 following the completion of each such term. The bill also allows local or general law to supplement these salaries further. It would take effect on the first day of the month after the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.

### What it does

- Sets the base salary of the State Court of Fayette County judge at $175,844.82 per year, paid monthly from county funds.
- Sets the base salary of the State Court of Fayette County solicitor at $154,605.20 per year, paid monthly from county funds.
- Creates a longevity bonus for both officials equal to 5 percent of their base salary for each completed four-year term served after July 1, 2022.
- Specifies that longevity bonuses start on January 1 following the completion of each qualifying four-year term.
- Allows the base salaries to be supplemented further under other general or local law.
- Sets the effective date as the first day of the month after the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without a signature.

### Who it affects

The judge and solicitor of the State Court of Fayette County, and Fayette County government, which pays their salaries from county funds.

### Why it matters

The change directly affects how much Fayette County pays two of its court officials, including built-in raises tied to years of service, which shapes the county's budget and how the officials' compensation grows over time.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 revises Section 17 of the 1994 Act to set the judge's base salary at $175,844.82 and add a term-based longevity bonus.
- Section 2 revises Section 21 of the 1994 Act to set the solicitor's base salary at $154,605.20 and add a matching longevity bonus.
- Both longevity bonuses equal 5 percent of base salary per completed four-year term served after July 1, 2022, starting the following January 1.
- Section 3 sets the effective date as the first day of the month after the Governor's approval or the bill becoming law without signature.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-06-01 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Josh Bonner, Karen Mathiak, Debra Bazemore, Derrick Jackson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73916

> The history, votes, and amendments (898 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1513.md?full=1