HB 85: Superior Court Judicial Compensation Reform Act; enact

Georgia superior court judges currently receive a state salary plus, in many circuits, county salary supplements set by local laws. House Bill 85 (the Superior Court Judicial Compensation Reform Act) creates a new pay system: judges in office on July 1, 2025 can choose to switch to the new system, which combines a state salary set under a new formula tied to federal district judge pay with optional 'locality pay' from their counties, capped at 10 percent of the state salary or roughly $20,106, whichever is less. Judges who do not opt in keep being paid exactly as before, including any existing county supplements, so no judge's pay is cut. For judges taking office after July 1, 2025, counties can no longer offer traditional salary supplements except for chief judges, who can keep existing supplements but not get new or bigger ones. The bill also temporarily suspends local laws that tie other officials' pay to a superior court judge's salary, so a judge's raise does not automatically trigger raises for others, with that suspension lifting for judges on July 1, 2026. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

• Lets each sitting superior court judge choose, irrevocably, to switch to a new pay system combining a state salary with optional county locality pay instead of their current pay arrangement.
• Protects judges who don't opt in by guaranteeing their pay, including county supplements, stays exactly as it was on June 30, 2025.
• Caps county locality pay at the lesser of 10 percent of the judge's state salary or $20,106, with a formula reducing that cap as the state salary rises above $201,060.
• Bans counties from creating or increasing new county salary supplements for superior court judges after July 1, 2025, except supplements already in place for chief judges.
• Changes the formula for setting superior court judges' state salary, tying it to 90 percent of the base pay of federal district judges in Georgia's Northern District.
• Temporarily freezes local laws that tie other officials' pay to superior court judges' salaries, so judicial raises won't automatically raise other officials' pay until July 1, 2026.

Georgia's superior court judges, especially chief judges and those newly taking office after July 1, 2025; county governments and county commissions that currently pay judicial salary supplements; and other local officials, officials, or employees whose pay is legally tied to a superior court judge's salary through local laws or ordinances.

The bill changes how much money flows from counties to judges and standardizes judicial pay statewide, while shielding sitting judges from pay cuts. It also prevents sudden local budget shocks by freezing automatic pay increases for other officials whose salaries are pegged to judges' pay, at least temporarily.

• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 15-6-29 to let judges in office as of July 1, 2025 opt into the new pay system by filing written notice with the Council of Superior Court Judges and their circuit's counties; the choice is final once made.
• Section 2 guarantees judges who do not opt in continue receiving their pre-existing pay, including county supplements, under the Georgia Constitution's protections against reduced judicial pay.
• Section 4 creates new O.C.G.A. § 15-6-29.2, authorizing county 'locality pay' capped at 10 percent of state salary or $20,106 (whichever is lower), replacing most county salary supplements.
• Section 4 allows counties to keep paying existing chief judge supplements but bars new or increased chief judge supplements starting July 1, 2025.
• Section 4 preserves existing fringe benefits and retirement rights for judges regardless of which pay system they choose.
• Section 5 amends O.C.G.A. § 45-7-4 to cap superior court judges' state salary at 90 percent of the base salary of federal Northern District of Georgia judges.
• Section 6 creates new O.C.G.A. § 1-3-12, suspending local laws that tie other officials' compensation to judicial salaries, with that suspension for judges automatically lifting on July 1, 2026.
• Section 7 sets the effective date of the entire Act as July 1, 2025.

1. 2025-07-01Effective Date
2. 2025-05-12Act 112
3. 2025-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-09House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-28Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-28Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Rob Leverett (R, HD-123)Primary sponsor
• Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
• Stan Gunter (R, HD-8)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 20, 2025

   163 yea, 7 nay (3 not voting, 7 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #51

2. FailedSenate voteMarch 28, 2025

   18 yea, 33 nay (2 not voting, 3 excused)

   ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #1 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 26TH: Senate Vote #317

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 28, 2025

   51 yea, 2 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)

   PASSAGE: Senate Vote #318

• judicial pay
• superior court judges
• county government funding
• Georgia court system
• local government law