HB584 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Prince ChestnutRepresentative

Democrat

Co-Sponsors

Merika ColemanChris EnglandDavid FaulknerJuandalynn GivanJim HillMike JonesBen RobbinsMatt Simpson

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Judicial compensation, to establish a uniform pay plan for circuit judges, district judges, appellate court judges, supreme court justices, and the chief justice of the supreme court, eliminate salary supplements and expense allowance, Sec. 12-17-68 repealed; Secs. 12-17-182, 36-15-3 am'd.

Summary

HB584 creates a uniform statewide pay plan for Alabama judges and key legal officials, sets initial salaries, requires attorney licensure and ongoing education, and ends county salary supplements for some judges.

What This Bill Does

The bill sets initial salaries for the chief justice, associate justices, appellate court judges, circuit judges, district judges, district attorneys, and the Attorney General, with scheduled increases based on years of service or bench experience. It requires all judges to be licensed attorneys and to complete 12 hours of approved continuing legal education annually, including 1 hour of ethics, with disciplinary action for non-compliance. It eliminates county salary supplements and expense allowances for circuit and district judges and ties compensation for other officials to a 2021 baseline, while repealing a local-salary supplement statute and amending related provisions. It also updates pay for district attorneys and the Attorney General and sets effective dates for these changes.

Who It Affects

• State judges and justices (chief justice, associate justices, appellate judges, circuit judges, and district judges) who would receive a uniform pay plan, face new licensing and CLE requirements, and lose county supplements.
• District attorneys and the Attorney General who would have revised salary structures (including initial amounts and term-based increases) under the statewide plan, with local supplements removed for judges.

Key Provisions

• Establishes initial salaries: Chief Justice $176,000; Associate Justice $175,000; Appellate court judge $174,000 (presiding judge +$500/yr); Circuit judge $140,000; District judge $139,000; and sets adjustable increases of 7.5% at 6, 12, and 18 years for circuit/district and for chief justice/supreme/appellate judges.
• Requires all supreme court justices, appellate judges, circuit judges, and district judges to be licensed attorneys and to complete at least 12 hours of approved continuing legal education annually (including 1 hour ethics); eliminates county salary supplements and expense allowances for circuit and district judges; repeals Section 12-17-68; and aligns district attorney and Attorney General salaries with the new pay plan, with specific initial amounts and opportunities for increases.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Judicial Compensation