Rep. Budd files bill in North Carolina House to study attorney pay rates

A new bill filed by State Rep. Laura Budd in the North Carolina House seeks to create a committee to examine pay structures for assistant district attorneys, public defenders, and private assigned counsel, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 953 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Study Committee on ADA/APD/PAC Pay.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes a 12-member Study Committee on Assistant District Attorney, Assistant Public Defender, and Private Assigned Counsel Pay Rates in North Carolina, aimed at examining current pay structures and their adequacy. The committee will consist of selected members from the House and Senate, appointees from the Conference of District Attorneys, Indigent Defense Services, and the North Carolina Bar Association. It will evaluate current pay levels across urban, suburban, and rural regions, compare them with other states, and consider factors such as cost of living and amenities that influence lawyers’ career decisions. The committee is tasked with submitting interim and final reports to various legislative bodies by March 1, 2026, and March 1, 2027, respectively. The act becomes effective once it is enacted into law.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Terry M. Brown Jr. proposed the most bills (33) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Budd graduated from Ohio University in 1999 with a BA and again in 2002 from Wake Forest University School of Law with a JD.

Budd, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 103rd House district, replacing previous state representative Rachel Hunt.