Senate Bill 2329 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated to establish new salary structures for judges, effective September 1, 2030. The bill introduces a new subdivision under Section 8-23-103, which sets the salary for the chief justice of the supreme court equal to that of a class 1 official as of July 1, 2030, with associate justices earning $5,000 less. It further outlines salary reductions for chief judges and judges of the court of appeals and criminal appeals, as well as for chancellors and circuit court judges, all based on the salaries of the supreme court justices. Additionally, the bill specifies a new classification system for general sessions judges and juvenile judges based on county populations, which will affect their compensation.

The bill also includes provisions for calculating the compensation of general sessions judges and juvenile court judges, with specific salary percentages based on the classification of the counties. It establishes a county privilege tax on litigation in general sessions and juvenile courts, which will be used to fund the salaries of these judges. The legislation mandates that judges certify their compensation details to the administrative office of the courts by June 30, 2030, to ensure proper salary adjustments are made. Overall, the bill aims to standardize and adjust judicial compensation across Tennessee while providing a framework for future salary adjustments.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8-23-103(1), 8-23-103, 16-15-5001(a), 16-15-5001, 16-15-5001(b), 16-15-5001(c)(3), 16-15-5002, 16-15-5003