HB 769: Gwinnett Judicial Circuit; salary supplements for judges; change provisions

Superior court judges in Georgia receive a base salary set by state law, and some counties add a local salary supplement on top of that. This bill amends the 1960 Act that created the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit to set that local supplement at $80,200 per year, paid monthly from Gwinnett County funds, replacing the amount set in a 2014 update to the same law. Gwinnett County's governing authority would still be allowed to add further amounts beyond the $80,200 supplement. The bill includes a contingency clause. It would only take effect on July 1, 2025 if the General Assembly does not pass a separate statewide bill this session that would bar local salary supplements for superior court judges. If that other bill does pass, this bill would never take effect and would be automatically repealed on July 1, 2025.

• Sets the local salary supplement for Gwinnett Judicial Circuit superior court judges at $80,200 per year, paid in equal monthly installments from Gwinnett County funds.
• Replaces the supplement amount previously set in the 2014 amendment to the 1960 Gwinnett Judicial Circuit Act.
• Keeps in place the county's authority to pay superior court judges an additional amount beyond the $80,200 supplement, as fixed by the county governing authority.
• Makes the bill's effective date of July 1, 2025 contingent on a separate statewide bill (affecting O.C.G.A. Title 15 and Code Section 45-7-4) not passing this session.
• Automatically repeals this Act on July 1, 2025 if that separate statewide bill banning local judicial salary supplements is enacted instead.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this Act.

Superior court judges serving in the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit, the Gwinnett County government, which pays the supplement, and county taxpayers whose funds cover judicial compensation. The outcome also depends on a separate statewide bill affecting all Georgia superior court judges.

Gwinnett Judicial Circuit judges would see their county-funded pay supplement set at $80,200 a year, affecting judicial compensation and Gwinnett County's budget. Whether this actually happens hinges on whether state lawmakers pass a separate bill this session banning local supplements statewide.

• Section 1 revises Section 2A of the 1960 Gwinnett Judicial Circuit Act to set the annual salary supplement for its superior court judges at $80,200, paid monthly from county funds.
• Section 1 preserves Gwinnett County's authority to pay superior court judges additional compensation beyond the set supplement, as fixed by the county governing authority.
• Section 2 makes the Act's effective date July 1, 2025 contingent on the General Assembly not passing a separate bill this session banning local salary supplements for superior court judges statewide.
• Section 2 provides that if the contingency bill is approved instead, this Act never takes effect and is automatically repealed on July 1, 2025.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-13Act 221
2. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
3. 2025-04-08House Sent to Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
5. 2025-04-02Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
6. 2025-03-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
7. 2025-03-21House Passed/Adopted (House)
8. 2025-03-21House Third Readers (House)

• Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-88)
• Sam Park (D, HD-107)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 21, 2025

   158 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 13 excused)

   Local Calendar: House Vote #293

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   55 yea, 1 nay

   SUPPLEMENTAL LOCAL CONSENT CALENDAR: Senate Vote #400

• judicial salaries
• Gwinnett County
• superior court judges
• local legislation