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 in Section 8-23-103 that 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 modifies the classification of counties for determining general sessions judges' compensation, transitioning from seven classes to five classes based on population size.

The bill also includes provisions for the calculation of general sessions judges' salaries, which will be based on the salaries of circuit court judges, with specific percentages deducted based on county classification. It establishes a county privilege tax on litigation in general sessions and juvenile courts, which will be used to fund judges' compensation. Furthermore, it allows for the possibility of judges in certain counties to be designated as full-time judges, prohibiting them from engaging in private practice. The act will take effect upon becoming law, emphasizing the need for adjustments to judges' salaries and compensation structures in Tennessee.

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