State attorneys and administrative law judges: compensation.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact details of how salaries are phased in over three fiscal years and which specific levels of state attorneys apply to administrative law judges are not fully detailed in the provided sources.

State Attorneys and Administrative Law Judges: Salary Rules

This law sets minimum salary requirements for state attorneys and administrative law judges based on public sector attorney salaries, requires annual surveys by the Department of Human Resources, and phases in implementation over three fiscal years.

What This Bill Does

• Sets a rule that state attorneys and administrative law judges must earn at least as much as average public sector attorneys.
• Requires the Department of Human Resources to conduct an annual survey on March 1 about how much public sector attorneys are paid, including entry-level, mid-level, and top non-managerial positions.
• States that administrative law judges should make at least what the highest-paid state attorney in a certain level makes.
• Requires the department to offer fair salary offers during negotiations with unions based on these survey results.
• Ensures no one can lower salaries for attorneys or judges because of this new rule.

Who It Names or Affects

• State attorneys and administrative law judges in State Bargaining Unit 2
• The Department of Human Resources

Terms To Know

public sector attorneys

Lawyers who work for government agencies or organizations.

State Bargaining Unit 2

A group of state employees, including certain lawyers and judges, who negotiate with the state about their working conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

• Implementation starts in July 2026 and happens over three years.
• The law needs money from the annual Budget Act to be fully implemented.
• Only the superior court can handle disputes related to this law.

Official Summary Text

SB 605, as introduced, Cortese.
State attorneys and administrative law judges: compensation.
Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to establish and adjust salary ranges for each class of position in the state civil service.
This bill would require that the salaries of state attorneys and administrative law judges in State Bargaining Unit 2 be no less than the average salaries of public sector attorneys, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Human Resources to annually conduct a survey of salary structures by March 1 of each year, as specified, and determine the average salary of public sector attorneys for each attorney classification, including the minimum salaries for entry-level attorneys, intermediate classifications, and the most senior nonmanagerial attorneys, noninclusive of negotiated differentials. The bill would require that state administrative law judges have salaries not less than the
maximum salary of state attorneys classified at a specified level. The bill would require the department to make a good faith offer of parity in salary with respect to public sector agency attorneys’ and administrative law judges’ salaries in any negotiations with the exclusive bargaining representative. The bill would provide that no state attorney or administrative law judge classification shall be reduced in salary as a result of these provisions.
This bill would state that its provisions supersede any memorandum of understanding and shall become effective with respect to salary increases on March 1 of each year. It would provide that its implementation, except for the annual survey, is contingent upon the appropriation of funds in the annual Budget Act and that implementation shall be phased in over 3 fiscal years commencing on July 1, 2026. The bill would also provide that the superior court has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising under these
provisions.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF