Subcommittee told House cut halves funding for judges who haven’t opted into new pay structure

An unidentified court staff member told the Appropriations subcommittee that the House removed about half of the funding the judiciary requested to cover judges shifting to a new pay structure.

The staff said line 30.8 represents the amount the House took out and that 33 judges "have not opted in to the new pay structure," leaving the enacted House budget short of what would be needed if all judges adopted the change. "That reflects the amount of the 33 judges that have not opted in to the new pay structure," the staff member said.

Committee members pressed staff on timing. Staff said it was unlikely many of those judges would opt in before a July 1 implementation date because judges who planned to opt in would already have contacted retirement staff. The staff explained the window for an opt-in or a retirement-and-appointment (which would place a new judge automatically in the new structure) makes significant changes before July unlikely.

Chair members directed staff to contact judges in the three affected circuits—identified in the hearing as Fulton, DeKalb and Cobb—to confirm whether any would opt in before the budget is finalized. Committee members emphasized they needed that confirmation to decide whether the committee should restore funding removed by the House.

No formal motion or vote on restoring funds was taken at the hearing; members said the information will inform final appropriations deliberations in the coming days.