PRIA Logo™
AlabamaHB3532025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Courts, compensation of certain judicial officials and district attorneys further provided for

Sponsored By: Jim Hill (Republican)

Enacted

Courts & Judges

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

District attorneys get raises and pay protections

Beginning October 1, 2025, district attorneys have separate pay rules based on when they entered office. Those serving on October 1, 2021, earn $1,000 less yearly than the highest-paid circuit judge's state salary throughout their service. They are exempt from the newer salary schedule, and their raises no longer require completing a term. District attorneys first appointed or elected after October 1, 2021, start at $140,000, adjusted for applicable cost-of-living increases since that date. They get 7.5% raises for terms starting after their first, second, and third completed terms. Those raises also include legislative cost-of-living increases not already granted during the previous term. The law protects district attorneys serving on October 1, 2021, or October 1, 2025, against pay cuts under the act. Upon ratification of the specified 2025 constitutional amendment barring midterm salary cuts, each district attorney receives eligible cost-of-living increases not already included. Increases apply going forward, with no back pay for district attorneys serving on October 1, 2025.

Service raises and pay protections for judges

Effective October 1, 2025, the law updates Alabama's judicial pay rules using starting salaries dated October 1, 2021. Annual base pay is $176,000 for the chief justice, $175,000 for associate Supreme Court justices, and $174,000 for appellate judges. Circuit judges start at $140,000 and district judges at $139,000; appellate presiding judges get an extra $500 yearly. The Administrative Office of Courts adjusts these amounts for cost-of-living increases enacted on or after October 1, 2021. Judges get 7.5% raises after 6, 12, and 18 full years of qualifying service. Circuit and district judges receive these raises on October 1 after completing the required service in those roles. District judges moving to circuit court, and trial judges moving to higher courts, start with the new office's base plus applicable experience adjustments. Judges serving on October 1, 2021, keep their protected state pay when the schedule pays less, until an experience-based increase exceeds it.

Counties cannot add trial judges' pay

Beginning October 1, 2025, covered circuit and district judges can receive compensation only from the State Treasury. Counties cannot pay them salary supplements or expense allowances, even when local laws authorize those payments. This covers judges serving on October 1, 2021, and judges appointed or elected afterward.

Judge-linked pay freezes, then uses own service

Beginning October 1, 2021, covered public officials' and employees' judge-linked pay uses judicial compensation levels from September 30, 2021. This reference includes judicial salaries, supplements, and expense allowances; circuit judges, district judges, district attorneys, and the Attorney General are excluded. Starting with the next term after October 1, 2025, local laws linking elected officials' pay to trial judges must use statutory judicial base salaries. Service-based increases then use the elected official's own time in office, not a judge's service. The law also confirms payments under these linked-pay rules between October 1, 2021, and that next term.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Jim Hill

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 375 • No: 0

House vote • 5/6/2025

Hill Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1192

Yes: 102 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/6/2025

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 977

Yes: 34 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/6/2025

Barfoot motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 964

Yes: 34 • No: 0

House vote • 4/1/2025

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 577

Yes: 102 • No: 0

House vote • 4/1/2025

Third Reading in House of Origin

Yes: 103 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Enacted

    5/14/2025House

  2. Finance and Taxation General Fund 1st Amendment Offered

    5/6/2025Senate

  3. Barfoot motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 964

    5/6/2025Senate

  4. Carried Over to the Call of the Chair

    5/6/2025Senate

  5. Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 977

    5/6/2025Senate

  6. Hill Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1192

    5/6/2025House

  7. Ready to Enroll

    5/6/2025House

  8. Enrolled

    5/6/2025House

  9. Signature Requested

    5/6/2025Senate

  10. Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

    4/24/2025Senate

  11. Finance and Taxation General Fund 1st Amendment

    4/23/2025Senate

  12. Reported Out of Committee Second House

    4/23/2025Senate

  13. Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund

    4/3/2025Senate

  14. Pending Committee Action in Second House

    4/3/2025Senate

  15. Third Reading in House of Origin

    4/1/2025House

  16. Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 577

    4/1/2025House

  17. Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

    3/19/2025House

  18. Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

    3/19/2025House

  19. Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund

    2/27/2025House

  20. Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

    2/27/2025House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation