HB37 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jim HillRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Judicial compensation; uniform pay plan for justices & judges revised
Summary: HB37 changes Alabama judge pay to be based on years served, sets new base salaries and scheduled increases, and bans local salary supplements, with the changes taking effect in 2025.
What This Bill Does
The bill shifts judicial salaries to be determined by how many years a person has served as a judge or justice, rather than relying on bench experience. It sets specific initial salaries for each judicial position and adds automatic 7.5% increases after 6, 12, and 18 years of service. It also restricts local government supplements and requires most judicial pay to come from the State Treasury, with rules for judges moving to different offices and protections against pay reductions for current judges. The changes become effective June 1, 2025.

Who It Affects
Supreme court chief justices and associate justices
Appellate court judges
Circuit judges
District judges
County and local governments (due to prohibition on salary supplements or expense allowances for judges; local pay sources restricted)

Key Provisions
Initial salaries set: Chief Justice $176,000; Associate Supreme Court Justice $175,000; Appellate Court Judge $174,000 (presiding judge +$500/year); Circuit Judge $140,000; District Judge $139,000.
Annual increases of 7.5% on October 1 after 6, 12, and 18 full years of service for all listed positions.
If a judge moves to a different office (e.g., district to circuit, or circuit to chief justice), the new post uses the appropriate initial salary plus any bench-experience amount as defined.
Compensation for judges in service on October 1, 2021 and those appointed/elected after October 1, 2021 may only be paid from the State Treasury and may not receive county salary supplements or expense allowances.
Existing pay cannot be diminished; if a reduction would occur, the 2021 compensation remains until the specified bench-experience increase exceeds current pay.
Effective date: June 1, 2025.

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