House Bill 511 would increase the salaries of North Carolina magistrates and provide recurring state funding to pay for those raises. The bill appropriates $11.5 million from the General Fund to the Administrative Office of the Courts beginning July 1, 2025, for the 2025-2027 biennium, specifically to support magistrate salary increases.
The bill also rewrites G.S. 7A-171.1 to establish a new salary schedule for full-time magistrates. It sets a higher entry salary and creates stepped increases tied to years of service, with raises occurring every two years for the first three steps and every four years for later steps. The measure is effective when it becomes law, except for the funding and salary changes that begin July 1, 2025.
HB511 would directly amend North Carolina’s magistrate compensation statute, G.S. 7A-171.1, and increase recurring appropriations to the Administrative Office of the Courts. The practical effect would be higher pay for full-time magistrates statewide, with salaries rising according to a new step schedule and state funds covering the added personnel costs. It would affect the state budget, the court system, and magistrates as judicial officers employed under the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be a straightforward compensation bill with no documented opposition or controversy in the available record. Its framing as a salary increase for magistrates suggests a generally supportive or administrative purpose rather than a policy dispute, but the legislative history provided does not show formal sentiment from committee discussion or floor action.
The main likely point of contention is fiscal: the bill requires $11.5 million in recurring General Fund spending, which may draw scrutiny from budget writers and appropriators. A secondary issue could be the size and structure of the salary increases, including how the new step schedule compares with other judicial or state employee pay scales. No specific objections, amendments, or opposing arguments are included in the provided transcripts or vote history.