Judicial and Quasi-Judicial Employees - Compensation

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0608*

HOUSE BILL 608
D1 6lr2396
CF SB 313
By: The Speaker (By Request – Judicial Compensation Commission)
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 8, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Courts – Administrative Judges – Annual Stipend 2
Judicial and Quasi–Judicial Employees – Compensation 3

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Chief Judge of the Appellate Court of Maryland and a 4
judge who serves as an administrative judge for a circuit court or the District Court 5
to receive an annual stipend in addition to the judge’s annual sal ary; altering the 6
compensation of the Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Commission to be at 7
least equal to the salary of the Chief Judge of the District Court; and generally 8
relating to the compensation of administrative judges certain judicial and 9
quasi–judicial employees. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 12
Section 1–702 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – Labor and Employment 17
Section 9–101(a) and (d) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2025 Replacement Volume) 20

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – Labor and Employment 22
2 HOUSE BILL 608

Section 9–304(b) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2025 Replacement Volume) 3

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 5

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 6

1–702. 7

(a) (1) Subject to the provisions of § 1 –701 of this subtitle, a justice or judge 8
shall have the salary provided in the State budget. 9

(2) THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE APPELLATE COURT OF MARYLAND 10
AND A JUDGE WHO SERV ES AS AN ADMINISTRAT IVE JUDGE FOR A CIRC UIT COURT 11
OR THE DISTRICT COURT MAY RECEIVE AN ANNUAL STIPEND IN ADDITION TO THE 12
JUDGE’S ANNUAL SALARY. 13

(b) The Chief Judge of the District Court, during the period he THE INDIVIDUAL 14
serves as Chief Judge, shall have a salary equivalent to the annual salary then payable to 15
an associate judge of the Appellate Court of Maryland. 16

Article – Labor and Employment 17

9–101. 18

(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 19

(d) “Commission” means the State Workers’ Compensation Commission. 20

9–304. 21

(b) (1) Each member of the Commission is entitled to: 22

(i) the salary provided in the State budget; and 23

(ii) reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel 24
Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 25

(2) The annual salary of a member of the Commission: 26

(i) shall at least equal the salary provided in the State budget for a 27
judge of the district court; and 28

HOUSE BILL 608 3

(ii) for the Chairman, shall [be at least $1,500 more than the salary 1
of the other members ] AT LEAST EQUAL THE S ALARY OF THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE 2
DISTRICT COURT. 3

(3) Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, a 4
member of the Commission may not receive a fee or perquisite for the discharge of any duty 5
of office. 6

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 7
1, 2026. 8

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.