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Subcommittee advances bill raising judicial pay and adding accountability measures, including ombudsman office
Summary
House Bill 2712 was amended to raise judges’ statutory salaries by 10% on July 1, 2025, with a further 10% scheduled for July 1, 2027, and to create an ombudsman's office and judicial-education and accountability measures; the subcommittee reported the bill to the full committee with a due-pass recommendation.
House Bill 2712, relating to the Judicial Department, was amended and recommended by the Public Safety Subcommittee to the full Ways and Means committee with a due-pass recommendation.
The amended measure raises statutory annual salaries for judgeships in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Tax Court and Circuit Courts by 10% effective July 1, 2025, and schedules another 10% increase for July 1, 2027. The legislative fiscal presentation said the 2027 increase interacts with any cost-of-living allowances granted to executive-branch management-service employees and described the 2025–27 biennium cost for judicial compensation (including payroll expenses) at approximately $11.3 million general fund. The amendment also funds judicial accountability measures, estimated at $1.9 million general fund, and authorizes six permanent full-time positions to staff an ombudsman's office within the State Court Administrator's office.
The bill gives the Chief Justice authority to set rules and standards governing judicial performance, establishes a judicial-education requirement and creates an ombudsman's office to support accountability and performance standards. The State Court Administrator’s office told the committee it will reorganize existing judicial and staff training resources to support the measure.
Committee members spoke in favor of the combination of increased compensation and accountability. One member described the bill as a response to recruitment and retention challenges and to help ensure access to justice; another said the measure balances pay increases with supports for judges who may be struggling. The subcommittee adopted the dash-a5 amendment and unanimously reported the bill to the full committee.
If enacted, the measure takes effect on passage under its emergency clause and provides funding and staffing for the newly created ombudsman's office and the judicial-compensation increases described in the bill.
