HB145 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jim HillRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

To provide for additional circuit judgeships and additional district judgeships to be funded out of the State General Fund in Fiscal Years 2024, 2025, and 2026; and to provide for the authority of the judges and for the compensation and benefits of the judges.

Summary

HB145 would add eight circuit judgeships and five district judgeships across Alabama, funded by the State General Fund from 2024 to 2026, with rules on residency, duties, and pay for the new judges.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates new judgeships in multiple circuits and counties for fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026, with specific circuit and district designations. Initial judges would serve six-year terms and have the same powers and duties as other judges, with some seats including residency provisions (for example, the 19th Circuit 4 may reside anywhere in the circuit and will be assigned to domestic relations). These positions would be filled at the next general election after the act takes effect, and funding would come from the State General Fund for the Unified Judicial System in the respective years, with compensation following existing law (no salary supplements for certain judges).

Who It Affects

• Judges, court staff, and court administrators in the affected circuits and counties, who will gain new seats and may see changes in assignments and workload.
• Residents, businesses, and legal parties in Lauderdale, Autauga, Chilton, Elmore, Baldwin, DeKalb, Tuscaloosa, Madison, Lee, Mobile, Shelby, and other listed counties, who may experience increased court capacity and potentially faster access to judicial proceedings.

Key Provisions

• HB145 creates 8 new circuit judgeships and 5 new district judgeships across specified circuits and counties in 2024, 2025, and 2026, with designated judgeship numbers and residency rules where applicable.
• Funding for the new judgeships comes from the State General Fund to the Unified Judicial System in the respective fiscal years (2024 for 2024 positions, 2025 for 2025 positions, 2026 for 2026 positions), and the judges’ compensation follows existing law, including the prohibition on salary supplements for judges first elected or appointed after October 1, 2001.

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