(a) In recognition of the disparity in compensation of circuit and district judges caused by varying amounts of local supplements to state salaries and the need for a uniform plan of compensation, the following comprehensive plan is adopted for the compensation of judges. This plan, when implemented, shall reward judges for judicial experience and phase out local salary supplements and expense allowances.

(1) On October 1, 2000, the salary of circuit judges paid from the State Treasury shall be increased to the amount authorized for attorneys in the classified service of the state as Attorney IV, step 14, on June 10, 1999, and the salary of the Supreme Court Justices, judges of the appellate courts, and district judges shall be adjusted correspondingly as provided by Act 90-111, 1990 Regular Session (Acts 1990, p. 132).

(2) On October 1, 2001, the salary of circuit judges paid from the State Treasury shall be increased to the amount authorized for attorneys in the classified service of the state Attorney IV, step 17, on June 10, 1999, and the salary of the Supreme Court Justices, judges of the appellate courts, and district judges shall be adjusted correspondingly as provided by Act 90-111, 1990 Regular Session (Acts 1990, p. 132).

(3) On October 1, 2002, the salaries of the circuit judges paid from the State Treasury shall be fixed at one thousand dollars ($1,000) above the maximum amount authorized on June 10, 1999, for attorneys in the classified service of the state as Attorney IV, and the salary of Supreme Court Justices, judges of the appellate courts, and district judges shall be adjusted correspondingly as provided by Act 90-111, 1990 Regular Session (Acts 1990, p. 132).

The salaries of circuit judges shall not be increased above the amounts provided in this chapter as the result of any increases in the salaries of Attorneys IV which may occur after June 10, 1999.

(b) A circuit or district judge, Supreme Court Justice, or judge of an appellate court may not receive a cost-of-living raise during fiscal year 2000-2001, 2001-2002, or 2002-2003, other than an increase as provided by this chapter and Act 90-111, 1990 Regular Session (Acts 1990, p. 132).

(c) A circuit or district judge who is first elected or appointed after October 1, 2001, shall be paid compensation only from the State Treasury, and may not receive any salary supplement or expense allowance, or both, from any county.

(d)(1) Effective October 1, 2000, all circuit and district judges shall receive as additional compensation from the state the base salary provided in subsection (a) plus the appropriate amount for bench experience calculated pursuant to subdivision (2). Any salary supplement or expense allowance being paid by a county commission on September 30, 2000, to a sitting judge shall be diminished on October 1, 2000, and each October 1 thereafter, by the amount that the judge receives from the state for his or her bench experience as provided in subdivision (2). No salary supplement or expense allowance may increase after June 10, 1999.

(2) Effective October 1, 2000, the salary of circuit judges, district judges, Supreme Court Justices, and judges of the appellate courts shall be increased by 1.25 percent for every year that they have served as judges or justices of a state court to a maximum of 25 percent of the base salary.

(3) Any local salary supplement or expense allowance paid to a circuit or district judge shall be reduced by the amount of any increase in compensation brought about by virtue of the bench experience provision in subdivision (2).

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d), no circuit judge, district judge, Supreme Court Justice, or judge of the appellate courts shall have his or her salary increased for bench experience after May 26, 2004.

The Legislature, recognizing the need to eliminate the disparities in compensation of circuit and district judges due to county supplements and expense allowances in varying amounts authorized by local acts, shall phase out all local supplements and expense allowances as follows:

(1) No Supreme Court Justice, appellate judge, circuit judge, or district judge shall receive a cost-of-living raise during fiscal year 2000-2001, 2001-2002, or 2002-2003, other than as provided in Section 12-10A-1 and Act 90-111, 1990 Regular Session (Acts 1990, p. 132).

(2) Any county supplement or expense allowance authorized to be paid to a circuit or district judge in office on any day on or after October 1, 2000, to October 1, 2001, inclusive, shall be diminished by the amount the judge receives from the state for his or her bench experience pursuant to subdivision (2) of Section 12-10A-1.

(3) No salary supplement or expense allowance may increase after June 10, 1999.

(4) No county supplement or expense allowance shall be provided to any circuit or district judge who is first elected or appointed to office after October 1, 2001.

(5) If the implementation of subdivision (2) results in a reduction in salary supplements for a circuit or district judge who receives a supplement from more than one county, such reduction shall be divided proportionally among the affected counties.

(a) Passage of this chapter shall not repeal any law which, on June 10, 1999, provides for the retirement compensation payable from the treasury of any county to a circuit or district judge. Any contribution required by law to be made by a circuit or district judge to be entitled to retirement benefits shall continue at the dollar amount required to be contributed on June 10, 1999, and for any judge elected or appointed on or after June 10, 1999, any benefit paid from the treasury of any county to judges who in the future shall retire shall be fixed at the dollar amount required to be paid June 10, 1999.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as reducing the benefits payable from the county treasury to judges who have retired or to judges who are in active service on June 10, 1999.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, any circuit or district judge who is first elected or appointed after October 1, 2001, shall receive retirement benefits only from the Judicial Retirement Fund of Alabama, and shall not receive any retirement benefit from any county.

(c) No provision of this chapter shall reduce the amount of retirement benefits from the Judicial Retirement Fund currently authorized for retired justices and judges.

(a) To provide the employer's costs to implement the uniform pay plan adopted by this act, there is appropriated to the Unified Judicial System from the State General Fund the following amounts: For fiscal year 2000-2001, nine million five hundred thousand dollars ($9,500,000); for fiscal year 2001-2002, twelve million five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000); for fiscal year 2002-2003 and each subsequent fiscal year thereafter, fourteen million one hundred thousand dollars ($14,100,000).

(b) There is appropriated from the State Treasury to the Supreme Court of Alabama the amount of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and each fiscal year thereafter, to be used for the furtherance of attorney professionalism and the statewide coordination of pro bono services in civil cases.

The increase in fees authorized by this chapter shall not affect an increase in the fees authorized in Section 12-17-224, or any existing cost, fee, fine, or assessment except those specifically set out in this chapter.

(a) Any district attorney or constitutional officer other than a judge whose compensation is affected by this chapter who receives a local supplement shall have his or her supplement reduced by any increase in his or her state compensation until the supplement is eliminated. No officer appointed or elected after October 1, 2001, shall receive a county supplement or expense allowance in addition to his or her state salary and no salary supplement or expense allowance may increase after June 10, 1999.

(b) The phrase "circuit judges" as used in Section 12-17-182, shall refer to circuit judges who, due to bench experience, are receiving the maximum amount of state compensation.