II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4779 

To authorize additional district judges for the district courts and convert 

temporary judgeships. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 1, 2020 

Mr. YOUNG introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To authorize additional district judges for the district courts 

and convert temporary judgeships. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Judicial Understaffing 

5 Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘JUDGES Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4779 IS

1 (1) The Judicial Conference of the United 

2 States requested the creation of 65 new district 

3 judges in its 2019 report. 

4 (2) The Judicial Conference of the United 

5 States has named 42 vacancies as judicial emer6 gencies. 

7 (3) In fiscal year 2019, there were 456,827 

8 pending cases, averaging 674 per judgeship, of 

9 which 15.8 percent were over 3 years old. 

10 SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGES FOR THE DISTRICT 

11 COURTS. 

12 (a) ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS.— 

13 (1) 2021.—On or after January 21, 2021, the 

14 President shall appoint, by and with the advice and 

15 consent of the Senate— 

16 (A) 2 additional district judges for the dis17 trict of Arizona; 

18 (B) 4 additional district judges for the cen19 tral district of California; 

20 (C) 3 additional district judges for the 

21 eastern district of California; 

22 (D) 2 additional district judges for the 

23 northern district of California; 

24 (E) 2 additional district judges for the 

25 southern district of California; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4779 IS

1 (F) 1 additional district judge for the dis2 trict of Colorado; 

3 (G) 1 additional district judge for the dis4 trict of Delaware; 

5 (H) 3 additional district judges for the 

6 middle district of Florida; 

7 (I) 2 additional district judges for the 

8 southern district of Florida; 

9 (J) 1 additional district judge for the dis10 trict of Idaho; 

11 (K) 1 additional district judge for the 

12 southern district of Indiana; 

13 (L) 1 additional district judge for the 

14 northern district of Iowa; 

15 (M) 1 additional district judge for the dis16 trict of Nevada; 

17 (N) 2 additional district judges for the dis18 trict of New Jersey; 

19 (O) 1 additional district judge for the dis20 trict of New Mexico; 

21 (P) 1 additional district judge for the east22 ern district of New York; 

23 (Q) 1 additional district judge for the 

24 southern district of New York; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4779 IS

1 (R) 1 additional district judge for the east2 ern district of Texas; 

3 (S) 1 additional district judge for the 

4 southern district of Texas; and 

5 (T) 3 additional district judges for the 

6 western district of Texas. 

7 (2) 2025.—On or after January 21, 2025, the 

8 President shall appoint, by and with the advice and 

9 consent of the Senate— 

10 (A) 2 additional district judges for the dis11 trict of Arizona; 

12 (B) 5 additional district judges for the cen13 tral district of California; 

14 (C) 2 additional district judges for the 

15 eastern district of California; 

16 (D) 2 additional district judges for the 

17 northern district of California; 

18 (E) 2 additional district judges for the 

19 southern district of California; 

20 (F) 1 additional district judge for the dis21 trict of Colorado; 

22 (G) 3 additional district judges for the 

23 middle district of Florida; 

24 (H) 1 additional district judge for the 

25 northern district of Florida; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4779 IS

1 (I) 1 additional district judge for the 

2 southern district of Florida; 

3 (J) 1 additional district judge for the 

4 northern district of Georgia; 

5 (K) 1 additional district judge for the 

6 southern district of Indiana; 

7 (L) 2 additional district judges for the dis8 trict of New Jersey; 

9 (M) 1 additional district judge for the 

10 eastern district of New York; 

11 (N) 1 additional district judge for the 

12 western district of New York; 

13 (O) 1 additional district judge for the dis14 trict of Puerto Rico; 

15 (P) 1 additional district judge for the east16 ern district of Texas; 

17 (Q) 1 additional district judge for the 

18 southern district of Texas; and 

19 (R) 3 additional district judges for the 

20 western district of Texas. 

21 (b) CONVERSION OF TEMPORARY JUDGESHIPS.—The 

22 existing judgeships for the district of Hawaii, the district 

23 of Kansas, and the eastern district of Missouri authorized 

24 by section 203(c) of the Judicial Improvements Act of 

25 1990 (Public Law 101–650; 28 U.S.C. 133 note) and the 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 4779 IS

1 existing judgeships for the northern district of Alabama, 

2 the district of Arizona, the central district of California, 

3 the southern district of Florida, the district of New Mex4 ico, the western district of North Carolina, and the eastern 

5 district of Texas authorized by section 312(c) of the 21st 

6 Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authoriza7 tion Act (Public Law 107–273, 28 U.S.C. 133 note), as 

8 of the date of enactment of this Act, shall be authorized 

9 under section 133 of title 28, United States Code, and 

10 the incumbents in those offices shall hold the office under 

11 section 133 of title 28, United States Code, as amended 

12 by this Act. 

13 (c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

14 The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United 

15 States Code, is amended— 

16 (1) by striking the items relating to Alabama 

17 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Alabama: 

Northern ................................................................. 8 

Middle ..................................................................... 3 

Southern ................................................................. 3’’; 

18 (2) by striking the item relating to Arizona and 

19 inserting the following: 

‘‘Arizona ................................................................. 17’’; 

20 (3) by striking the items relating to California 

21 and inserting the following: 

‘‘California: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 4779 IS

Northern ................................................................. 18 

Eastern ................................................................... 11 

Central .................................................................... 37 

Southern ................................................................. 17’’; 

1 (4) by striking the item relating to Colorado 

2 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Colorado ............................................................... 9’’; 

3 (5) by striking the item relating to Delaware 

4 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Delaware ............................................................... 5’’; 

5 (6) by striking the items relating to Florida and 

6 inserting the following: 

‘‘Florida: 

Northern ................................................................. 5 

Middle ..................................................................... 21 

Southern ................................................................. 21’’; 

7 (7) by striking the items relating to Georgia 

8 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Georgia: 

Northern ................................................................. 12 

Middle ..................................................................... 4 

Southern ................................................................. 3’’; 

9 (8) by striking the item relating to Hawaii and 

10 inserting the following: 

‘‘Hawaii .................................................................. 4’’; 

11 (9) by striking the item relating to Idaho and 

12 inserting the following: 

‘‘Idaho .................................................................... 3’’; 

13 (10) by striking the items relating to Indiana 

14 and inserting the following: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 4779 IS

‘‘Indiana: 

Northern ................................................................. 5 

Southern ................................................................. 7’’; 

1 (11) by striking the items relating to Iowa and 

2 inserting the following: 

‘‘Iowa: 

Northern ................................................................. 3 

Southern ................................................................. 3’’; 

3 (12) by striking the item relating to Kansas 

4 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Kansas .................................................................. 6’’; 

5 (13) by striking the items relating to Missouri 

6 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Missouri: 

Eastern ................................................................... 7 

Western .................................................................. 5 

Eastern and Western ............................................. 2’’; 

7 (14) by striking the item relating to Nevada 

8 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Nevada ................................................................. 8’’; 

9 (15) by striking the item relating to New Jer10 sey and inserting the following: 

‘‘New Jersey ........................................................... 21’’; 

11 (16) by striking the item relating to New Mex12 ico and inserting the following: 

‘‘New Mexico .......................................................... 8’’; 

13 (17) by striking the items relating to New York 

14 and inserting the following: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 4779 IS

‘‘New York: 

Northern ................................................................. 5 

Southern ................................................................. 29 

Eastern ................................................................... 17 

Western .................................................................. 5’’; 

1 (18) by striking the items relating to North 

2 Carolina and inserting the following: 

‘‘North Carolina: 

Eastern ................................................................... 4 

Middle ..................................................................... 4 

Western .................................................................. 5’’; 

3 (19) by striking the item relating to Puerto 

4 Rico and inserting the following: 

‘‘Puerto Rico .......................................................... 8’’; 

5 and 

6 (20) by striking the items relating to Texas and 

7 inserting the following: 

‘‘Texas: 

Northern ................................................................. 12 

Southern ................................................................. 21 

Eastern ................................................................... 10 

Western .................................................................. 19’’. 

8 SEC. 4. GAO REPORT ON VACANT AND UNDERUTILIZED 

9 COURTHOUSES. 

10 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

11 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

12 shall make publicly available a report identifying Federal 

13 courthouses that are vacant or underused. 

14 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

16 as may be necessary to carry out this Act and the amendVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:19 Oct 17, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4779.IS S4779

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 4779 IS

1 ments made by this Act, including such sums as may be 

2 necessary to provide appropriate space and facilities for 

3 the judicial positions created by this Act or an amendment 

4 made by this Act. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS