HB472 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris PringleRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

District attorneys and retired district attorneys, calculation of retirement benefits, authorized to advise law enforcement; civil immunity provided; return to work after retirement without loss of benefits; rural recruitment and retention program established

Summary

HB472 updates Alabama retirement rules for prosecutors, lets some retirees return to part-time work without losing benefits, and creates a rural recruitment program for assistants district attorneys.

What This Bill Does

It makes Tier II full-time prosecutors and investigators receive the same retirement benefits as Tier I during their employment and requires them to contribute 7.5% of earnings. It allows a retired district attorney, assistant district attorney, or deputy district attorney to return to work part-time under certain conditions without losing retirement benefits, with an annual earnings limit that adjusts over time. It creates the Rural Initiative for Assistant District Attorney Recruitment and Retention, awarding rural incentive time credits for every five years of service in rural circuits and outlining which circuits qualify.

Who It Affects

• Full-time prosecuting attorneys and full-time investigators who are Tier II members, who would receive Tier I retirement benefits while employed and contribute 7.5% of earnings.
• Retired district attorneys, retired assistant district attorneys, and retired deputy district attorneys who may return to part-time work without losing retirement benefits (subject to limits), and district attorney staff in rural circuits eligible for the Rural Initiative for ADA recruitment and retention.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 12-17-213 to count time served in various roles (including judge service and full-time deputy/assistant district attorney) toward the 18-year requirement for supernumerary district attorney status; requires at least 10 years as district attorney in the circuit for supers.
• Adds Sections 36-27-6.6 and 36-27-8.3 to provide that all full-time prosecuting attorneys and investigators who are Tier II members receive the same retirement benefits as Tier I during employment, and that Tier II members contribute 7.5% of earnable compensation.
• Requires that a district attorney separating from state service must elect either salary under Section 12-17-215 or a pension (not both); survivor benefits remain available.
• Allows a supernumerary district attorney receiving a salary to work under limited conditions for ERS employers, with annual earnings limited to $50,000 (indexed annually for CPI and rounded to the nearest $1,000).
• Establishes the Rural Initiative for ADA Recruitment and Retention (Section 3), defining Rural Incentive Time as one year of creditable service for every five years in a rural judicial circuit for assistants, deputy district attorneys, chief investigators, or district attorney investigators serving in rural circuits and participating in ERS; excludes certain circuits from being considered rural.
• Effective October 1, 2024.

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

Subjects

Retirement