GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1436

Short Title:  District Attorney/Public Defender Salaries.      	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senator Cooper.

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Referred to:  Judiciary I.

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May 25, 2000

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO SET THE SALARIES OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS AT AN AMOUNT THAT IS THE MIDPOINT BETWEEN THE SALARY OF A SENIOR REGULAR RESIDENT SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE AND THE SALARY OF A CHIEF DISTRICT COURT JUDGE AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE AND TO CONFORM THE SALARIES OF THE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION, AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.(a)	G.S. 7A-65(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	The annual salary of district attorneys shall be the midpoint between the salary of a senior regular resident superior court judge and the salary of a chief district court judge, as provided by law.  The annual salary of full-time assistant district attorneys shall be as provided in the Current Operations Appropriations Act. When traveling on official business, each district attorney and assistant district attorney is entitled to reimbursement for his subsistence and travel expenses to the same extent as State employees generally."
Section 1.(b)	G.S. 7A-465(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	The public defender shall be an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina, and shall devote full time to the duties of the office.
The annual salary of public defenders shall be the midpoint between the salary of a senior regular resident superior court judge and the salary of a chief district court judge, as provided by law.  The annual salary of full-time assistant public defenders shall be as provided in the Current Operations Appropriations Act.
In lieu of merit and other increment raises paid to regular State employees, a public defender shall receive as longevity pay an amount equal to four and eight-tenths percent (4.8%) of the annual salary set forth in the Current Operations Appropriations Act payable monthly after five years of service, nine and six-tenths percent (9.6%) after 10 years of service, fourteen and four-tenths percent (14.4%) after 15 years of service, and nineteen and two-tenths percent (19.2%) after 20 years of service. 'Service' means service as a public defender, assistant public defender, justice or judge of the General Court of Justice, or clerk of superior court."
Section 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Judicial Department the sum of two hundred eighty-two thousand four hundred nine dollars ($282,409) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year to increase salaries of district attorneys and public defenders as provided in Section 1 of this act.
Section 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Commerce the sum of forty-four thousand five hundred seventy-three dollars ($44,573) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year to increase the salaries of the Industrial Commissioners, the Executive Administrator of the Industrial Commission, and the Executive Secretary of the Industrial Commission to conform those salaries to the salaries of the district attorneys and public defenders, as required by G.S. 97-98.
Section 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2000.