HB530 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Nathaniel LedbetterRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Justices and judges, revise compensation received by retired justices and judges who are called to active duty, Secs. 12-18-10, 12-18-61 am'd.
Summary: HB 530 updates how Alabama pays retired justices and judges when they are called back to work, including new pay amounts, caps, and rules for interim active duty.
What This Bill Does
The bill changes retirement benefits to be 75% of the position's salary and ensures these benefits adjust when salaries change, while protecting them from garnishment. It adds survivor benefits for spouses and disability benefits for retirees. It also creates rules for interim active duty, allowing retirees to be called back to work with additional pay under certain conditions, and sets caps and oversight for those payments; similar provisions apply to district judges.

Who It Affects
Retired justices and judges (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court) and their spouses, who would receive revised retirement, disability, and survivor benefits and may be eligible for interim active-duty pay.
Judiciary administration (Chief Justice, presiding judges, Administrative Office of Courts) and the circuits/districts, who oversee certification of need, determine duties, and manage interim active-duty pay and compliance.

Key Provisions
Retirement benefits are set at 75% of the salary prescribed by law for the position, adjusted if that salary changes, and not subject to attachment or garnishment.
Spouse survivor benefits: after at least five years of service, the spouse receives 3% of the retiree's salary per year of service, up to 30%, paid monthly.
Disability benefits: 75% of the salary if the retiree served 10+ years; if fewer than 10 years, a stepped formula that starts at 25% and adds 10% per year over five years, with a minimum of 30%.
Interim active-duty pay: retirees may be called back to interim duty; they receive additional pay so that total pay would be up to 25% of the retirement salary and not exceed a cap (overall total not more than $1,000 below a regular judge’s annual pay in the circuit).
When serving, the retired judge's interim pay aligns with the regular salary for the applicable position (circuit/appeals) or the circuit from which they retired, whichever is greater, with annual caps.
District judges have similar interim active-duty provisions, including a cap of not more than $1,000 below a regular district judge’s pay and up to 25% of retirement salary for interim service.
Certification and performance: the Chief Justice or presiding judges, with the court’s advice, determine if a retiree is satisfactorily performing duties; if not, the retiree can be removed from active duty and the extra pay ends.
Transfers to inactive status are allowed while preserving retirement benefits, with approval from the Chief Justice, and active status can be restored if public interest requires.
Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Justice, Supreme Court