SB 2006

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Judiciary, Division A; Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Blount
Senate Bill 2006
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 9-1-36, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO
INCREASE THE OFFICE ALLOWANCE FOR CIRCUIT AND CHANCERY JUDGES; AND FOR RELATED
PURPOSES.
���� BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
���� SECTION 1.� Section 9-1-36,
Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
���� 9-1-36.� (1)� Each circuit
judge and chancellor shall receive an office operating allowance for the
expenses of operating the office of the judge, including retaining a law clerk,
legal research, stenographic help, stationery, stamps, furniture, office
equipment, telephone, office rent and other items and expenditures necessary
and incident to maintaining the office of judge which may include expenses to
travel out of state once per state fiscal year for continuing legal education
classes and or seminars if approved by the Chief Justice.� The allowance shall
be paid only to the extent of actual expenses incurred by the judge as itemized
and certified by the judge to the Supreme Court in the amounts set forth in
this subsection; however, the judge may expend sums in excess thereof from the
compensation otherwise provided for his office.
���� �From and after July
1, 2023, the office operating allowance under this subsection shall be Fifteen
Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) per annum.
���� (2)� In addition to the
amounts provided for in subsection (1), there is created a separate office
allowance fund for the purpose of providing support staff to judges.� This fund
shall be managed by the Administrative Office of Courts.�
���� (3)� Each judge who desires
to employ support staff must have each candidate approved by the Administrative
Office of Courts before the positions may be filled.� The Administrative Office
of Courts shall not approve any hire which does not first require the expenditure
of the funds in the support staff fund for compensation of any of the support
staff before expenditure is authorized of county funds for that purpose.� Upon
approval by the Administrative Office of Courts, the judge or judges may
appoint the employees to the position or positions, and each employee so
appointed will work at the will and pleasure of the judge or judges who
appointed him but will be employees of the Administrative Office of Courts.�
Upon approval by the Administrative Office of Courts, the appointment of any
support staff shall be evidenced by the entry of an order on the minutes of the
court.� When support staff is appointed jointly by two (2) or more judges, the
order setting forth any appointment shall be entered on the minutes of each participating
court.
���� (4)� Support staff shall
receive compensation pursuant to personnel policies established by the
Administrative Office of Courts.� Each judge shall be allotted the amount of * * * One Hundred Thirty
Thousand Dollars ($130,000.00) Two Hundred and Sixty Thousand Dollars
($260,000.00) per fiscal year for all support staff approved by the
Administrative Office of Courts.
���� The Administrative Office of
Courts may approve expenditures from the fund for additional equipment for
support staff appointed pursuant to this section in any year in which the
allocation per judge is sufficient to meet the equipment expense after
provision for the compensation of the support staff.
���� (5)� For the purposes of
this section, the following terms have the meaning ascribed in this subsection
unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
��������� (a)� "Judges"
means circuit judges and chancellors, or any combination thereof.
��������� (b)� "Support
staff" means court administrators, law clerks, legal research assistants
or secretaries, or any combination thereof, but shall not mean school
attendance officers.
��������� (c)�
"Compensation" means the gross salary plus all amounts paid for
benefits or otherwise as a result of employment or as required by employment;
however, only salary earned for services rendered shall be reported and
credited for Public Employees' Retirement System purposes.� Amounts paid for
benefits or otherwise, including reimbursement for travel expenses, shall not
be reported or credited for retirement purposes.
��������� (d)� "Law
clerk" means a clerk hired to assist a judge or judges who has a law
degree or who is a full-time law student who is making satisfactory progress at
an accredited law school.
���� (6)� Title to all tangible
property, excepting stamps, stationery and minor expendable office supplies, procured
with funds authorized by this section, shall be and forever remain in the State
of Mississippi to be used by the circuit judge or chancellor during the term of
his office and thereafter by his successors.
���� (7)� Any circuit judge or
chancellor who did not have a primary office provided by the county on March 1,
1988, shall be allowed an additional Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00) per
annum to defray the actual expenses incurred by the judge or chancellor in
maintaining an office; however, any circuit judge or chancellor who had a
primary office provided by the county on March 1, 1988, and who vacated the
office space after that date for a legitimate reason, as determined by the
Department of Finance and Administration, shall be allowed the additional
office expense allowance provided under this subsection.� The county in which a
circuit judge or chancellor sits is authorized to provide funds from any
available source to assist in defraying the actual expenses to maintain an
office.
���� (8)� The Supreme Court,
through the Administrative Office of Courts, shall submit to the Department of
Finance and Administration the itemized and certified expenses for office
operating allowances that are directed to the court pursuant to this section.
���� (9)� The Supreme Court,
through the Administrative Office of Courts, shall have the power to adopt
rules and regulations regarding the administration of the office operating
allowance authorized pursuant to this section.
���� SECTION 2.� This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.