Researcher: DC Page 1 4/14/21
OLR Bill Analysis
SB 988
AN ACT CONCERNING JUDICIAL COMPENSATION.
SUMMARY
For FY 22, this bill increases the following by approximately 4.5%:
(1) salaries for judges, family support magistrates, family support
referees, and judge trial referees; (2) additional amounts that certain
judges receive for performing administrative duties; and (3) salaries of
certain officials whose compensation, by law, is determined in relation
to a Superior Court judge’s salary or state referee’s per-diem rate.
Additionally, the bill establishes annual cost of living allowances
(COLAs) for these salaries and amounts in each of the three
subsequent fiscal years (i.e., FYs 23, 24, and 25). The COLA for each of
these fiscal years must be the prior year’s increase in inflation (i.e., the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers) or 2.5%, whichever is
greater.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
JUDICIAL SALARIES
Table 1 shows the bill’s changes to judicial salaries for FY 22.
Table 1: Judicial Salaries
Position Current Salary Salary Starting
July 1, 2021
(FY 22)
Supreme Court chief justice $206,617 $215,915
Chief court administrator (if a judge) 198,545 207,480
Supreme Court associate judge 191,178 199,781
Appellate Court chief judge 189,063 197,571
Appellate Court judge 179,552 187,663
Deputy chief court administrator (if a
Superior Court judge)
176,277 184,209 2021SB-00988-R000454-BA.DOCX
Researcher: DC Page 2 4/14/21
Superior Court judge 172,663 180,460
Chief family support magistrate 150,314 157,078
Family support magistrate 143,060 149,498
Family support referee 223/day* 233/day*
Judge trial referee 259/day* 271/day*
* Plus expenses, mileage, and retirement pay
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE S
The law provides judges extra compensation in addition to their
annual salaries for taking on certain administrative duties. The judges
who receive this additional amount are (1) the appellate system’s
administrative judge; (2) each judicial district’s administrative
judge; and (3) each chief administrative judge for (a) facilities,
administrative appeals, the judicial marshal service, or judge trial
referees, and (b) the Superior Court’s family, juvenile, criminal, or civil
divisions. The bill increases these additional annual payments from
$1,177 to $1,230 starting July 1, 2021 (i.e., FY 22).
RELATED INCREASES
The bill’s provisions also result in salary or rate increases for other
officials or judges whose compensation is tied to those of Superior
Court judges or judge trial referees. Specifically:
1. the salaries of workers’ compensation commissioners vary
depending on experience and are tied to those of Superior Court
judges (CGS § 31-277);
2. the salaries of probate court judges vary depending on probate
district classification, and range from 45% to 75% of a Superior
Court judge’s salary (CGS § 45a-95a);
3. senior judges receive the same per-diem rates as judge trial
referees (CGS §§ 51-47b & 52-434b); and
4. the probate court administrator’s salary is the same as that of a
Superior Court judge (CGS § 45a-75).
COMMITTEE ACTION 2021SB-00988-R000454-BA.DOCX
Researcher: DC Page 3 4/14/21
Judiciary Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 28 Nay 9 (03/29/2021)