State attorneys and administrative law judges: compensation.

Senator Cortese's proposal to establish salary parity between state attorneys, administrative law judges, and their public sector counterparts would create a new framework for determining compensation across California's legal workforce. The legislation mandates that state attorney salaries match or exceed regional averages from comparable public agencies, while administrative law judges would receive compensation no less than the maximum salary of State Attorney IV positions in their regions.

The Department of Human Resources would conduct annual salary surveys by March 1, examining compensation structures across three geographic regions encompassing California's 58 counties. The surveys would analyze entry-level and senior nonmanagerial attorney salaries at specified agencies, including district attorneys' offices, county counsels' offices, and courts of appeal. These findings would establish minimum salary thresholds for state positions, with intermediate classifications scaled proportionally between entry-level and senior nonmanagerial ranges.

Implementation would occur in three phases beginning July 1, 2026, with one-third of calculated increases taking effect the first year, two-thirds the second year, and full implementation by July 1, 2028. While the annual salary survey requirement takes effect immediately, all other provisions depend on funding through the annual Budget Act. The Superior Court would have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes arising from the law's provisions, which would supersede existing memoranda of understanding regarding compensation.