Committee approves DA retirement age change and pay overhaul in substitute vote

The rules committee approved a substitute for House Bill 1020 that raises the retirement age for district attorneys from 60 to 65 and adjusts statewide pay and locality supplements, passing the measure 11-3 in a recorded hand vote.

Senator Hatchett, who covered the pay portion of the bill, said the substitute ties district-attorney pay to a percentage of a federal judge's salary and limits local supplements. "It will be 88% of the federal judge's salary, and it will also limit the local supplements to 10% of whatever the district attorney salary is," Hatchett said, framing the change as a step toward parity across counties.

Committee members asked for clarity about the opt-in date and how the new 10% cap would interact with counties that currently pay larger local supplements. One senator warned the flat 10% cap could result in a pay reduction for some sitting DAs if they choose to opt in; Hatchett and the chair clarified that the bill includes language allowing DAs to exercise the opt-in no later than 01/01/2030 and that those who do not opt in could remain on their existing pay schedule.

An actuarial letter from the Department of Administrative Services (DOAA) accompanies the substitute (LC560664S), which the committee endorsed. The chair called the vote; after members raised hands the chair reported "11 yeses and 3 noes" and declared the motion carried. The measure will be returned to rules for further processing.

The committee record shows the vote and the substitute package will move forward; members who pressed for parity expressed concern about local pay reductions, and the record indicates those concerns were noted but did not prevent passage of the substitute.