Georgia CommonsSB 492: State Court of Cobb County; additional assistant solicitor positions; provide
Last action February 26, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Senate bill would let Cobb County's state court solicitor-general hire more assistant solicitors and would raise their minimum pay to $83,400 a year starting in 2027.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Engrossed version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
The State Court of Cobb County currently allows the solicitor-general, the county's chief prosecutor for that court, to appoint a set number of assistant solicitors based on the number of judges and magistrates in the county. This bill increases that number by adding seven additional assistant solicitor positions on top of the existing formula. The bill also raises the minimum annual pay for all assistant solicitors to at least $83,400, though the solicitor-general still sets the exact amount for each person. That pay increase would begin January 1, 2027. The bill keeps existing rules requiring assistant solicitors to be licensed to practice law in Georgia and in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia, and it keeps the solicitor-general's authority to designate some assistant solicitors as supervisors. The overall law would take effect July 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Adds seven additional assistant solicitor positions to the State Court of Cobb County solicitor-general's office, beyond the existing formula tied to judges and magistrates.
- Sets a new minimum salary of at least $83,400 per year for all assistant solicitors, effective January 1, 2027.
- Keeps the requirement that assistant solicitors be licensed to practice law in Georgia and remain members in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia.
- Preserves the solicitor-general's authority to set exact pay within the new minimum and to designate certain assistant solicitors as supervisors.
Who it affects
The solicitor-general and assistant solicitors of the State Court of Cobb County, whose staffing levels and minimum pay would change, and Cobb County taxpayers, since the salaries are paid from the county's general funds.
Why it matters
More assistant solicitor positions could help the Cobb County solicitor-general's office handle its caseload, while the higher minimum salary could affect the county's budget and its ability to recruit and retain prosecutors starting in 2027.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises subsection (d) of Section 27 of the 1964 Act creating the State Court of Cobb County, adding seven additional assistant solicitor positions to the existing formula based on judges and magistrates.
- Section 1 sets a minimum annual salary of $83,400 for all assistant solicitors beginning January 1, 2027, with the exact amount set by the solicitor-general.
- Section 1 retains the requirement that assistant solicitors be licensed Georgia attorneys in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia and be paid monthly from county general funds.
- Section 2 sets the overall effective date of the Act as July 1, 2026.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“the solicitor-general shall have the authority to appoint two assistant solicitors for each judge of Division I and Division II of the State Court of Cobb County and the same number of additional assistant solicitors as the number of full-time magistrates of the Magistrate Court of Cobb County, plus seven additional assistant solicitors”
“all assistant solicitors shall be compensated a sum of at least $83,400.00 annually beginning on January 1, 2027”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
- Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
- Jaha Howard (D, SD-035)
- Donzella James (D, SD-028)
Votes
- Senate voteFebruary 24, 2026
53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 1 absent)
Topics
- Cobb County government
- prosecutors' salaries
- state court staffing
- local legislation