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SB 29

Providing pay increases to members of judiciary

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Robbie Morris and 4 co-sponsors

SB 29 increases salaries for Supreme Court, circuit, family, and ICCO judges and staff, while updating retirement contributions and related housekeeping provisions.

Chapter 88, Acts, Regular Session, 2026
#courts #salaries
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Bill Summary · SB 29

Overview

Senate Bill 29 (SB 29), introduced in the 2026 West Virginia Legislature, proposes across-the-board pay increases for judges and certain court-related staff, updates to the judicial retirement contribution structure, and adjustments to compensation for judges serving in the Intermediate Court of Appeals. The bill also makes related housekeeping provisions in multiple sections of the West Virginia Code.

Main purpose and intent

  • Increase annual salaries for key judicial offices (Supreme Court justices, circuit judges, family court judges, and Intermediate Court of Appeals judges).
  • Update or clarify retirement contributions for judges serving in courts of record (Judges' Retirement Fund) and align employee contributions with actuarial determinations.
  • Support judicial administrative staffing and compensation (family court staff and Intermediate Court of Appeals compensation).

Key provisions and changes

  • Supreme Court of Appeals
    • Justices’ salary schedule: increases to 154,600 starting July 1, 2026, and 159,600 starting July 1, 2027 (with prior historical laddering noted in the text).
  • Circuit Courts
    • Circuit judges’ salary schedule: increases to 143,600 starting July 1, 2026, and 148,600 starting July 1, 2027 (plus historical steps earlier in the schedule).
  • Family Courts
    • Family court judge compensation: base salaries rising to 113,950 starting July 1, 2026, and 118,950 starting July 1, 2027.
    • Secretary-clerks and family court staff
    • Secretary-clerk annual salary set at 42,576, increasing to 44,876 from July 1, 2023, with eligibility for general state employee increases thereafter.
    • Family court staff and coordinators: salary caps and titles outlined (family case coordinators capped at 56,876 from July 1, 2023; additional staff allowable as needed with pay not exceeding secretary-clerk level; authority for hiring/termination vested in the Supreme Court of Appeals).
  • Retirement System for Judges of Courts of Record
    • Employee contribution to Judges’ Retirement Fund remains required, with tiered percentages (historically 6%, then 9%, then 10.5%, then 7% from currently applicable acts) and ongoing actuarial-based determination of contributions.
    • Provisions address leased employees, military service credit, and 414(u) conformity with the Internal Revenue Code.
    • annual actuarial valuations and required contributions to be provided to legislative committees; if funding exceeds 125%, contributions may be suspended.
  • Intermediate Court of Appeals
    • Salaries for ICCO judges: 142,500 escalating to 147,500 (July 1, 2026) and 152,500 (July 1, 2027). ICCO budget to be included in Supreme Court’s appropriation.
    • ICCO judges and staff reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses.

Who would be affected

  • Current and future judges of the Supreme Court, circuit courts, family courts, and the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
  • Family court secretary-clerks and family court case coordinators.
  • State agencies responsible for payroll and retirement administration (Administrative Office of the Supreme Court, Consolidated Public Retirement Board, State Auditor).
  • Legislation and committees overseeing judicial retirement funding (Joint Committee on Government and Finance; Joint Committee on Pensions and Retirement).

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced January 14, 2026; referred to the Finance Committee.
  • Substantial progress in the 2026 session leading to passage and gubernatorial action in March–April 2026, with effective dates tied to July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2027 for various salary increases.
  • Enacted as Chapter 88, Acts, Regular Session, 2026, effective upon governor’s signature and specified effective dates.

Impact considerations

  • Substantial near-term fiscal impact due to multi-year salary increases for multiple judicial offices.
  • Long-term effect on judicial compensation competitiveness and retention.
  • The retirement funding provisions introduce actuarial-driven contributions, potentially stabilizing long-term funding while requiring ongoing transparency to legislative committees.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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