(a) The post-conviction defender shall be paid a salary equal to the amount established by law for district public defenders.

(b) Full-time assistant post-conviction defenders shall be compensated in an amount set by the post-conviction defender in compliance with the assistant public defender's pay schedule and shall be paid from funds appropriated for that purpose.

(c) All payments of the salary of the post-conviction defender and employees of the office and payments for other necessary expenses of the office from state funds appropriated therefor shall be considered as being for a valid public purpose.

(d) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any limitations on compensation and step increases that apply to district public defenders and assistant public defenders for the period of time beginning from June 16, 2003, to June 30, 2004, and June 25, 2009, to June 30, 2010, shall also apply to post-conviction defenders and assistant post-conviction defenders. In the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2010, and in subsequent fiscal years, salary increases pursuant to the pay schedule prescribed in this section shall not include time of service between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, and between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010.

(e) The salary increase provided by this section and suspended by subsection (d) for the period July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, shall be reinstated effective July 1, 2017. For purposes of determining the appropriate salary classification pursuant to this section, credible service for the time period of July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, shall be included.