SB 216: Georgia Judicial Retirement System; membership in the system for individuals employed as the director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission; provide

Currently the director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, a state agency that investigates complaints against prosecutors, is a member of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia like most state workers. This bill would move that position into the Georgia Judicial Retirement System (O.C.G.A. Chapter 23 of Title 47), the pension system used by judges and solicitors-general. Anyone already holding the director job as of June 30, 2026 could choose to stay in the old system or switch to the new one by June 30, 2027, but switching requires paying the full actuarial cost of transferring their service credit. The bill also defines how the director's pay would count toward retirement contributions and benefits. The change only takes effect if state actuaries certify it is funded under Georgia's Public Retirement Systems Standards Law; otherwise the whole act is automatically repealed on July 1, 2026.

• Creates a new Code section (47-23-43.2) making the director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission a member of the Georgia Judicial Retirement System starting July 1, 2026.
• Lets a current director who is already in the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia choose to switch to the judicial system by June 30, 2027, instead of being switched automatically.
• Requires anyone switching systems to pay the full actuarial cost of transferring their prior service credit, with funds moved between the two retirement systems.
• Applies the judicial retirement system's existing rules for solicitors-general to the director position, and sets how the director's monthly pay counts for contributions and benefits.
• Amends O.C.G.A. § 47-23-100 to add the director's average earnable monthly compensation as a form of salary counted under the retirement system.
• Makes the whole act conditional: it only takes effect if state actuaries confirm it is funded, otherwise it is automatically repealed on July 1, 2026.

This bill directly affects the director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, both current and future holders of that position, and the two state pension systems involved: the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia and the Georgia Judicial Retirement System.

For the person serving as the commission's director, this could mean a different retirement plan with different benefit calculations than most state employees receive. The funding condition means the change may never take effect if it is not certified as actuarially sound.

• Section 1 adds Code Section 47-23-43.2, making the director position a member of the Georgia Judicial Retirement System on and after July 1, 2026.
• Section 1 lets a director employed as of June 30, 2026 keep their current retirement plan unless they elect to switch by June 30, 2027 and pay the full actuarial transfer cost.
• Section 1 states that upon transfer, service credit only counts toward vesting for time actually worked and creditable in the prior system.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 47-23-100 to add average earnable monthly compensation as a defined form of salary for this member category.
• Section 3 makes the act effective July 1, 2026 only if certified as funded under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law, otherwise it is automatically repealed that same date.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-11Act 488
3. 2026-05-11Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senado)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senado)
5. 2026-03-19House Passed/Adopted (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2026-03-19House Third Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
7. 2026-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported (Cámara de Representantes)
8. 2026-03-09House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Patrocinador principal
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)

1. AprobadaVotación: Senado4 de marzo de 2026

   49 a favor, 2 en contra (3 sin votar, 1 ausentes)

   Passage: Senate Vote #631

2. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes19 de marzo de 2026

   165 a favor, 0 en contra (5 sin votar, 6 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #726

• public employee pensions
• prosecuting attorneys
• state retirement systems
• judicial branch employees