North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H953 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 1
4		-	HOUSE BILL 953
	3	+	H D
	4	+	HOUSE BILL DRH30373-ND-94A
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Study Committee on ADA/APD/PAC Pay. (Public)
8		-	Sponsors: Representatives Budd, Carson Smith, and T. Brown (Primary Sponsors).
9		-	For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10		-	Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11		-	April 14, 2025
12		-	H953 -v-1
	9	+	Sponsors: Representative Budd.
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRH30373 -ND-94A
13	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	14		AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE STUDY COMMITTEE ON ASSISTANT DISTRICT 2
15	15		ATTORNEY, ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDER , AND PRIVATE ASSIGNED 3
16	16		COUNSEL PAY RATES. 4
17	17		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
18	18		SECTION 1. Committee Established. – There is established the Study Committee 6
19	19		on Assistant District Attorney, Assistant Public Defender, and Private Assigned Counsel Pay 7
20	20		Rates (Committee). The Committee shall include 12 voting members, as follows: 8
21	21		(1) Two members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of 9
22	22		the House of Representatives. 10
23	23		(2) Two members of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the 11
24	24		Senate. 12
25	25		(3) Two members appointed by the Conference of District Attorneys. 13
26	26		(4) Two members appointed by the Office of Indigent Defense Services. 14
27	27		(5) Two members of the State Bar that practice criminal law, appointed by the 15
28	28		North Carolina Bar Association. 16
29	29		(6) Two members of the State Bar that practice criminal law, appointed by the 17
30	30		Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. 18
31	31		SECTION 2. Nonvoting Members; Cochairs. – The Executive Director of the 19
32	32		Conference of District Attorneys and the Executive Director of Indigent Defense Services shall 20
33	33		serve as nonvoting ex officio members of the Committee and shall serve as cochairs of the 21
34	34		Committee. 22
35	35		SECTION 3. Vacancies. – A vacancy on the Committee shall be filled by the original 23
36	36		appointing authority using the criteria for the prior appointment. 24
37	37		SECTION 4. Duties. – The Committee shall serve as a study and advisory committee 25
38	38		on the pay rates of assistant district attorneys, assistant public defenders, and private assigned 26
39	39		counsel. Pursuant to this work, the Committee shall study, at a minimum, each of the following: 27
40	40		(1) The current state of assistant district attorney, assistant public defender, and 28
41	41		private assigned counsel pay throughout the State, in general, and when 29
42	42		separated into the three cost-of-living categories of urban, suburban, and rural. 30
43	43		(2) The current pay structure for assistant district attorneys, assistant public 31
44	44		defenders, and private assigned counsel. 32
45	45		(3) The comparison between North Carolina's pay and pay structures studied 33
46	46		pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section and the pay and pay 34
47		-	structures of comparable positions in neighboring and nearby states. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 House Bill 953-First Edition
	47	+	structures of comparable positions in neighboring and nearby states. 35
	48	+	H.B. 953
	49	+	Apr 10, 2025
	50	+	HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	51	+	Page 2 DRH30373-ND-94A
49	52		(4) The differences in cost of living, availability of housing, and other associated 1
50	53		costs in various cities, counties, and regions of the State. 2
51	54		(5) Factors that positively or negatively influence law students and attorneys 3
52	55		regarding the choice to serve as assistant district attorneys, assistant public 4
53	56		defenders, or private assigned counsel, including, at a minimum, the following 5
54	57		factors: 6
55	58		a. Local amenities. 7
56	59		b. Local school quality. 8
57	60		c. Economic development opportunities. 9
58	61		(6) The structured pay model utilized by the Offices of the United States 10
59	62		Attorneys. 11
60	63		(7) The structured pay and amenity allowances utilized by the United States 12
61	64		Armed Services. 13
62	65		(8) Any other subject the Committee finds relevant to its work. 14
63	66		SECTION 5. Administration. – The Committee shall meet upon the call of its 15
64	67		cochairs, and a quorum of the Committee shall be a majority of its voting members. Members of 16
65	68		the Committee shall receive per diem and necessary travel and subsistence expenses in 17
66	69		accordance with G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, and 138-6, as applicable. The Committee may meet in the 18
67	70		Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. The Legislative Services Officer shall 19
68	71		assign professional and clerical staff and provide other necessary resources to assist the 20
69	72		Committee in its work. 21
70	73		SECTION 6. Reporting. – No later than March 1, 2026, in an interim report, and 22
71	74		March 1, 2027, in a final report, the Committee shall report to the following entities regarding 23
72	75		the information studied pursuant to this act, including any related findings and legislative 24
73	76		recommendations: 25
74	77		(1) The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety. 26
75	78		(2) The Senate Appropriations Committee on Justice and Public Safety. 27
76	79		(3) The House Appropriations Committee on Justice and Public Safety. 28
77	80		SECTION 7. This act is effective when it becomes law. 29