II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 3071

To provide for the appointment of additional Federal circuit and district

judges, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 19, 2000

Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs.

BOXER, Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. EDWARDS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. GRAHAM,

Mr. INOUYE, Mr. KERREY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. REID, Mr. ROBB, and Mr.

SCHUMER) (by request) introduced the following bill; which was read

twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To provide for the appointment of additional Federal circuit

and district judges, and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Federal Judgeship Act

5 of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. CIRCUIT JUDGES FOR THE CIRCUIT COURT OF AP7 PEALS.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall appoint, by

9 and with the advice and consent of the Senate—
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1 (1) 2 additional circuit judges for the second

2 circuit court of appeals;

3 (2) 2 additional circuit judges for the sixth cir4 cuit court of appeals; and

5 (3) 2 additional circuit judges for the ninth cir6 cuit court of appeals.

7 (b) TEMPORARY JUDGESHIPS.—The President shall

8 appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the

9 Senate—

10 (1) 1 additional circuit judge for the first cir11 cuit court of appeals; and

12 (2) 3 additional circuit judges for the ninth cir13 cuit court of appeals.

14 For the first circuit court of appeals, the first vacancy

15 arising on the court 7 years or more after a judge is first

16 confirmed to fill the temporary circuit judgeship created

17 in that circuit by this subsection shall not be filled. For

18 the ninth circuit court of appeals, the first 3 vacancies

19 arising on the court 7 years or more after judges are first

20 confirmed to fill all 3 temporary circuit judgeships created

21 in that circuit by this subsection shall not be filled.

22 (c) TABLES.—In order that the table contained in

23 section 44 of title 28, United States Code, will, with re24 spect to each judicial circuit, reflect the changes in the

25 total number of permanent circuit judgeships authorized
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1 as a result of subsection (a) of this section, such table

2 is amended to read as follows:

‘‘Circuits Number of Judges

District of Columbia ................................................................ 12

First ......................................................................................... 6

Second ...................................................................................... 15

Third ........................................................................................ 14

Fourth ...................................................................................... 15

Fifth ......................................................................................... 17

Sixth ......................................................................................... 18

Seventh ..................................................................................... 11

Eighth ...................................................................................... 11

Ninth ........................................................................................ 30

Tenth ........................................................................................ 12

Eleventh ................................................................................... 12

Federal ..................................................................................... 12.’’.

3 SEC. 3. DISTRICT JUDGES FOR THE DISTRICT COURTS.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall appoint, by

5 and with the advice and consent of the Senate—

6 (1) 1 additional district judge for the northern

7 district of Alabama;

8 (2) 1 additional district judge for the middle

9 district of Alabama;

10 (3) 1 additional district judge for the district of

11 Arizona;

12 (4) 2 additional district judges for the eastern

13 district of California;

14 (5) 1 additional judge for the northern district

15 of California;

16 (6) 5 additional district judges for the southern

17 district of California;

18 (7) 1 additional district judge for the district of

19 Colorado;
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1 (8) 1 additional district judge for the middle

2 district of Florida;

3 (9) 2 additional district judges for the southern

4 district of Florida;

5 (10) 2 additional district judges for the district

6 of New Mexico;

7 (11) 3 additional district judges for the eastern

8 district of New York;

9 (12) 2 additional district judges for the western

10 district of North Carolina;

11 (13) 1 additional district judge for the district

12 of South Carolina;

13 (14) 2 additional district judges for the south14 ern district of Texas;

15 (15) 3 additional district judges for the western

16 district of Texas; and

17 (16) 2 additional district judges for the eastern

18 district of Virginia.

19 (b) TEMPORARY JUDGESHIPS.—The President shall

20 appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the

21 Senate—

22 (1) 1 additional district judge for the northern

23 district of Alabama;

24 (2) 1 additional district judge for the southern

25 district of Alabama;
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1 (3) 4 additional district judges for the district

2 of Arizona;

3 (4) 2 additional district judges for the central

4 district of California;

5 (5) 3 additional district judges for the southern

6 district of California;

7 (6) 1 additional district judge for the district of

8 Colorado;

9 (7) 1 additional district judge for the middle

10 district of Florida;

11 (8) 1 additional district judge for the southern

12 district of Indiana;

13 (9) 1 additional district judge for the eastern

14 district of Kentucky;

15 (10) 1 additional district judge for the district

16 of Nevada;

17 (11) 1 additional district judge for the district

18 of New Mexico;

19 (12) 1 additional district judge for the northern

20 district of New York;

21 (13) 1 additional district judge for the western

22 district of New York;

23 (14) 1 additional district judge for the district

24 of Oregon;
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1 (15) 1 additional district judge for the western

2 district of Texas;

3 (16) 1 additional district judge for the eastern

4 district of Texas; and

5 (17) 1 additional district judge for the western

6 district of Washington.

7 For the district of Arizona, the first 4 vacancies arising

8 on the district court 7 years or more after judges are first

9 confirmed to fill all 4 temporary district judgeships cre10 ated in that district by this subsection shall not be filled.

11 For the central district of California, the first 2 vacancies

12 arising on the district court 7 years or more after judges

13 are first confirmed to fill both temporary district judge14 ships created in that district by this subsection shall not

15 be filled. For the southern district of California, the first

16 3 vacancies arising on the district court 7 years or more

17 after judges are first confirmed to fill all 3 temporary dis18 trict judgeships created in that district by this subsection

19 shall not be filled. For each of the other judicial districts

20 named in this subsection, the first vacancy arising on the

21 district court 7 years or more after a judge is first con22 firmed to fill the temporary district judgeship created in

23 that district by this subsection shall not be filled.

24 (c) EXISTING JUDGESHIPS.—
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1 (1) The existing judgeships for the eastern dis2 trict of California, the district of Hawaii, the central

3 district of Illinois, the southern district of Illinois,

4 the district of Nebraska, the northern district of

5 New York, and the eastern district of Virginia au6 thorized by section 203(c) of the Judicial Improve7 ments Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–650, 104 Stat.

8 5089) as amended by Public Law 105–53, as of the

9 effective date of this Act, shall be authorized under

10 section 133 of title 28, United States Code, and the

11 incumbents in those offices shall hold the office

12 under section 133 of title 28, United States Code,

13 as amended by this Act.

14 (2) The existing judgeships for the northern

15 district of Ohio authorized by section 203(c) of the

16 Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 (Public Law

17 101–650, 104 Stat. 5089) as amended by Public

18 Law 105–53, as of the effective date of this Act,

19 shall be extended. The first vacancy in the office of

20 district judge in that district occurring 15 years or

21 more after the confirmation date of the judge named

22 to fill the temporary judgeship created by such sec23 tion 203(c) shall not be filled.

24 (d) TABLES.—In order that the table contained in

25 section 133 of title 28, United States Code, will, with re-
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1 spect to each judicial district, reflect the changes in the

2 total number of permanent district judgeships authorized

3 as a result of subsections (a) and (c)(1) of this section,

4 such table is amended to read as follows:

‘‘Districts Judges

Alabama:

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

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

Southern ............................................................................................ 3

Alaska ....................................................................................................... 3

Arizona ...................................................................................................... 12

Arkansas:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 5

Western ............................................................................................. 3

California:

Northern ........................................................................................... 15

Eastern ............................................................................................. 9

Central .............................................................................................. 27

Southern ............................................................................................ 13

Colorado .................................................................................................... 8

Connecticut ............................................................................................... 8

Delaware ................................................................................................... 4

District of Columbia ................................................................................. 15

Florida:

Northern ........................................................................................... 4

Middle ............................................................................................... 16

Southern ............................................................................................ 18

Georgia:

Northern ........................................................................................... 11

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

Southern ............................................................................................ 3

Hawaii ....................................................................................................... 4

Idaho ......................................................................................................... 2

Illinois:

Northern ........................................................................................... 22

Central .............................................................................................. 4

Southern ............................................................................................ 4

Indiana:

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

Southern ............................................................................................ 5

Iowa:

Northern ........................................................................................... 2

Southern ............................................................................................ 3

Kansas ...................................................................................................... 5

Kentucky:

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

Western ............................................................................................. 4

Eastern and Western ........................................................................ 1

Louisiana:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 12
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Middle ............................................................................................... 3

Western ............................................................................................. 7

Maine ........................................................................................................ 3

Maryland ................................................................................................... 10

Massachusetts ........................................................................................... 13

Michigan:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 15

Western ............................................................................................. 4

Minnesota .................................................................................................. 7

Mississippi:

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

Southern ............................................................................................ 6

Missouri:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 6

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

Eastern and Western ........................................................................ 2

Montana .................................................................................................... 3

Nebraska ................................................................................................... 4

Nevada ...................................................................................................... 6

New Hampshire ........................................................................................ 3

New Jersey ................................................................................................ 17

New Mexico ............................................................................................... 7

New York:

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

Southern ............................................................................................ 28

Eastern ............................................................................................. 18

Western ............................................................................................. 4

North Carolina:

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

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

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

North Dakota ............................................................................................ 2

Ohio:

Northern ........................................................................................... 11

Southern ............................................................................................ 8

Oklahoma:

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

Eastern ............................................................................................. 1

Western ............................................................................................. 6

Northern, Eastern, and Western ...................................................... 1

Oregon ....................................................................................................... 6

Pennsylvania:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 22

Middle ............................................................................................... 6

Western ............................................................................................. 10

Puerto Rico ............................................................................................... 7

Rhode Island ............................................................................................. 3

South Carolina .......................................................................................... 10

South Dakota ............................................................................................ 3

Tennessee:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 5

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

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

Texas:

Northern ........................................................................................... 12
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Southern ............................................................................................ 20

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

Western ............................................................................................. 13

Utah .......................................................................................................... 5

Vermont .................................................................................................... 2

Virginia:

Eastern ............................................................................................. 12

Western ............................................................................................. 4

Washington:

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

Western ............................................................................................. 7

West Virginia:

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

Southern ............................................................................................ 5

Wisconsin:

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

Western ............................................................................................. 2

Wyoming ................................................................................................... 3.’’.

1 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF ARTICLE III COURTS IN THE

2 NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS AND THE VIR3 GIN ISLANDS.

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF JUDICIAL DISTRICTS.—

5 (1) NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.—Chapter 5

6 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by in7 serting after section 114 the following:

8 ‘‘§ 114A. Northern Mariana Islands

9 ‘‘The Northern Mariana Islands constitutes 1 judicial

10 district. Court shall be held at Saipan.’’.

11 (2) VIRGIN ISLANDS.—Chapter 5 of title 28,

12 United States Code, is amended by inserting after

13 section 126 the following:

14 ‘‘§ 126A. Virgin Islands

15 ‘‘The Virgin Islands constitutes 1 judicial district com16 prising 2 divisions.
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1 ‘‘(1) The Saint Croix Division comprises the Island of

2 Saint Croix and adjacent islands and cays.

3 ‘‘Court for the Saint Croix Division shall be held at

4 Christiansted.

5 ‘‘(2) The Saint Thomas and Saint John Division com6 prises the Islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John

7 and adjacent islands and cays.

8 ‘‘Court for the Saint Thomas and Saint John Division

9 shall be held at Charlotte-Amalie.’’.

10 (3) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND11 MENT.—The table of contents for chapter 5 of title

12 28, United States Code, is amended—

13 (A) by inserting after the item relating to

14 section 114 the following:

‘‘114A. Northern Mariana Islands.’’;

15 and

16 (B) by inserting after the item relating to

17 section 126 the following:

‘‘126A. Virgin Islands.’’.

18 (b) COMPOSITION OF NINTH CIRCUIT.—Section 41

19 of title 28, United States Code, is amended in the matter

20 relating to the ninth circuit by inserting ‘‘, Northern Mar21 iana Islands’’ after ‘‘Hawaii’’.

22 (c) NUMBER OF JUDGES.—Section 133(a) of title 28,

23 United States Code, is amended—
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1 (1) by inserting after the item relating to North

2 Dakota the following:

‘‘Northern Mariana Islands ..................................................... 1’’;

3 and

4 (2) by inserting after the item relating to

5 Vermont the following:

‘‘Virgin Islands ........................................................................ 2’’.

6 (d) BANKRUPTCY JUDGES.—Section 152(a)(2) of

7 title 28, United States Code, is amended—

8 (1) by inserting after the item relating to North

9 Dakota the following:

‘‘Northern Mariana Islands ..................................................... 0’’;

10 and

11 (2) by inserting after the item relating to

12 Vermont the following:

‘‘Virgin Islands ........................................................................ 0’’.

13 (e) ASSIGNMENT OF JUDGES.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 13 of title 28,

15 United States Code, is amended by adding after sec16 tion 297 the following:

17 ‘‘§ 298. Assignment to the United States District

18 Court for the Northern Mariana Islands

19 ‘‘In addition to the judges authorized to be des20 ignated by sections 291 and 292, the Chief Judge of the

21 United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit may

22 assign judges of courts of record of the Northern Mariana
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1 Islands or Guam, including a judge of the District Court

2 of Guam who is appointed by the President or a recalled

3 senior judge of the District Court of Guam, to serve tem4 porarily as a judge in the United States District Court

5 for the Northern Mariana Islands whenever such an as6 signment is necessary for the proper dispatch of the busi7 ness of the court. The judges assigned under this section

8 shall have the powers of a magistrate judge.’’.

9 (2) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND10 MENT.—The table of sections for chapter 13 of title

11 28, United States Code, is amended by adding after

12 the item relating to section 297 the following:

‘‘298. Assignment to the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana

Islands.’’.

13 (f) JUDICIAL CONFERENCES OF CIRCUITS.—Section

14 333 of title 28, United States Code, is amended in the

15 third sentence of the first undesignated paragraph by

16 striking ‘‘, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, and

17 the District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands may

18 also be summoned biennially, and may be summoned an19 nually, to the conferences of their respective circuits’’ and

20 inserting ‘‘may also be summoned biennially, and may be

21 summoned annually, to the conference of the ninth cir22 cuit’’.

23 (g) JUDGES IN TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS.—

24 Section 373 of title 28, United States Code, is amended—
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1 (1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘, the District

2 Court of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Dis3 trict Court of the Virgin Islands’’; and

4 (2) in subsection (e) by striking ‘‘, the District

5 Court of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Dis6 trict Court of the Virgin Islands’’.

7 (h) ANNUITIES FOR SURVIVORS OF CERTAIN JUDI8 CIAL OFFICIALS OF THE UNITED STATES.—Section

9 376(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended—

10 (1) in paragraph (1)(B) by striking ‘‘, the Dis11 trict Court of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the

12 District Court of the Virgin Islands’’; and

13 (2) in paragraph (2)(B) by striking ‘‘, the Dis14 trict Court of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the

15 District Court of the Virgin Islands,’’.

16 (i) AUTHORITY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.—Section

17 526(a)(2) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by

18 striking ‘‘and of the district court of the Virgin Islands’’.

19 (j) COURTS DEFINED.—Section 610 of title 28,

20 United States Code, is amended—

21 (1) by striking ‘‘the United States District

22 Court for the District of the Canal Zone,’’; and

23 (2) by striking ‘‘the District Court of the Virgin

24 Islands,’’.
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1 (k) UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGES.—Section

2 631 of title 28, United States Code, is amended—

3 (1) in subsection (a)—

4 (A) by striking ‘‘and the district court of

5 the Virgin Islands’’ in the first sentence; and

6 (B) by striking the second sentence; and

7 (2) in subsection (b)(1) by inserting ‘‘the Com8 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ after

9 ‘‘Puerto Rico,’’.

10 (l) COURT REPORTERS.—Section 753(a) of title 28,

11 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘, the United

12 States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone,

13 the District Court of Guam, and the District Court of the

14 Virgin Islands’’ and inserting ‘‘and the District Court of

15 Guam’’.

16 (m) FINAL DECISIONS OF DISTRICT COURTS.—Sec17 tion 1291 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by

18 striking ‘‘, the United States District Court for the Dis19 trict of the Canal Zone, the District Court of Guam, and

20 the District Court of the Virgin Islands,’’ and inserting

21 ‘‘and the District Court of Guam,’’.

22 (n) INTERLOCUTORY DECISIONS.—Section 1292 of

23 title 28, United States Code, is amended—

24 (1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘, the United

25 States District Court for the District of the Canal
16

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1 Zone, the District Court of Guam, and the District

2 Court of the Virgin Islands,’’ and inserting ‘‘and the

3 District Court of Guam,’’; and

4 (2) in subsection (d)(4) by striking ‘‘, the Dis5 trict Court of Guam, the District Court of the Vir6 gin Islands, or the District Court for the Northern

7 Mariana Islands,’’ and inserting ‘‘or the District

8 Court of Guam’’.

9 (o) JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES COURT

10 OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT.—Section

11 1295(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended in

12 paragraphs (1) and (2) by striking ‘‘, the United States

13 District Court for the District of the Canal Zone, the Dis14 trict Court of Guam, or the District Court for the North15 ern Mariana Islands’’ and inserting ‘‘or the District Court

16 of Guam’’.

17 (p) DIVERSITY JURISDICTION.—Section 1332(d) of

18 title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘and

19 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’’ and inserting ‘‘the

20 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of

21 the Northern Mariana Islands’’.

22 (q) UNITED STATES AS DEFENDANT.—Section

23 1346(b) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by

24 striking ‘‘, together with the United States District Court
17

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1 for the District of the Canal Zone and the District Court

2 of the Virgin Islands,’’.

3 (r) CIVIL COMMITMENT.—Section 2901(e) of title 28,

4 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘the Canal

5 Zone, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’’, and insert6 ing ‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Common7 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’’.

8 (s) ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION OF DEFEND9 ANTS.—Section 3006A(j) of title 18, United States Code,

10 is amended by striking ‘‘, the District Court of the Virgin

11 Islands, the District Court for the Northern Mariana Is12 lands,’’.

13 (t) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—

14 (1) TENURE OF INCUMBENT JUDGES.—A judge

15 of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Is16 lands or of the District Court of the Virgin Islands

17 in office on the effective date of this section shall

18 continue in office until the expiration of the term for

19 which the judge was appointed, or until the judge

20 dies, resigns, or is removed from office, whichever

21 occurs first. When a vacancy occurs on the court on

22 or after the effective date of this section, the Presi23 dent, in accordance with sections 133(a) and 134(a)

24 of title 28, United States Code, shall appoint, by
18

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1 and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a

2 judge who shall hold office during good behavior.

3 (2) RETIREMENT RIGHTS AND BENEFITS.—The

4 amendments made by this section shall not affect

5 the rights under sections 373 and 376 of title 28,

6 United States Code, of any judge of the District

7 Court for the Northern Mariana Islands or the Dis8 trict Court of the Virgin Islands who retires on or

9 before the effective date of this section or who con10 tinues in office after that date under paragraph (1)

11 or this subsection. Service as a judge of the District

12 Court for the Northern Mariana Islands appointed

13 under the first section of the Act of November 8,

14 1977 (Public Law 95–157, 91 Stat. 1265; 48 U.S.C.

15 1821) or judge of the District Court of the Virgin

16 Islands appointed under section 24 of the Revised

17 Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48 U.S.C. 1614)

18 shall be included in calculating service under sec19 tions 371 and 372 of title 28, United States Code,

20 and shall not be counted for purposes of section 373

21 of that title, if the judge is reappointed to hold office

22 during good behavior after the effective date of this

23 section.

24 (u) AMENDMENTS TO ACT TO CREATE THE DIS25 TRICT COURT OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Act of November 8,

2 1977 (Public Law 95–157; 91 Stat. 1265) is

3 amended—

4 (A) in section 4(a) (48 U.S.C. 1824(a))—

5 (i) by striking ‘‘(a)’’;

6 (ii) by striking ‘‘, except as otherwise

7 provided in article IV of the covenant’’;

8 (iii) by striking all beginning with ‘‘,

9 unless those cases are reviewable in the

10 District Court for the Northern Mariana

11 Islands’’ through the period and inserting

12 a period; and

13 (iv) by striking subsection (b); and

14 (B) by striking—

15 (i) the first section (48 U.S.C. 1821);

16 (ii) section 2 (48 U.S.C. 1822);

17 (iii) section 3 (48 U.S.C. 1823);

18 (iv) section 5 (48 U.S.C. 1825); and

19 (v) section 6 (48 U.S.C. 1826).

20 (2) SUPERSEDING PROVISIONS.—To the extent

21 that the amendments made by this subsection are

22 inconsistent with article IV of the Covenant to Es23 tablish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

24 Islands in Political Union with the United States of
20

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1 America (48 U.S.C. 1801 note), article IV is super2 seded.

3 (v) AMENDMENTS TO REVISED ORGANIC ACT OF THE

4 VIRGIN ISLANDS.—

5 (1) REPEALS.—Sections 24, 25, 26, and 27 of

6 the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48

7 U.S.C. 1614, 1615, 1616, and 1617) are repealed.

8 (2) RIGHTS AND PROHIBITIONS.—Section 3 of

9 the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48

10 U.S.C. 1561) is amended in the 23d undesignated

11 paragraph—

12 (A) by inserting ‘‘article III;’’ after ‘‘sec13 tion 9, clauses 2 and 3;’’ and

14 (B) by striking ‘‘That all offenses against

15 the laws of the United States and the laws of

16 the Virgin Islands which are prosecuted in the

17 district court pursuant to sections 1612(a) and

18 (c) of this title may be had by indictment by

19 grand jury or by information, and that all of20 fenses against the laws of the Virgin Islands

21 which are prosecuted in the district court pur22 suant to section 1612(b) of this title or’’ and

23 inserting ‘‘That all offenses against the laws of

24 the Virgin Islands which are prosecuted’’.
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1 (3) JURISDICTION.—Section 21 of the Revised

2 Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48 U.S.C. 1611)

3 is amended to read as follows:

4 ‘‘SEC. 21. JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE VIRGIN

5 ISLANDS.

6 ‘‘(a) JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE VIRGIN

7 ISLANDS.—The judicial power of the Virgin Islands shall

8 be vested in such trial and appellate courts as may have

9 been or may hereafter be established by local law. The

10 local courts of the Virgin Islands shall have jurisdiction

11 over all causes of action in the Virgin Islands over which

12 any court established by the Constitution and laws of the

13 United States does not have exclusive jurisdiction.

14 ‘‘(b) PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE.—The rules gov15 erning the practice and procedure of the courts established

16 by local law and those prescribing the qualifications and

17 duties of the judges and officers thereof, oaths and bonds,

18 and the times and places of holding court shall be gov19 erned by local law or the rules promulgated by those

20 courts.’’.

21 (4) INCOME TAX MATTERS.—Section 22 of the

22 Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48

23 U.S.C. 1612) is amended to read as follows:
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1 ‘‘SEC. 22. JURISDICTION OVER INCOME TAX MATTERS.

2 The United States District Court for the District of

3 the Virgin Islands shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all

4 criminal and civil proceedings in the Virgin Islands with

5 respect to the income tax laws applicable to the Virgin

6 Islands, except the ancillary laws relating to the income

7 tax enacted by the legislature of the Virgin Islands. Any

8 act or failure to act with respect to the income tax laws

9 applicable to the Virgin Islands which would constitute a

10 criminal offense described in chapter 75 of subtitle F of

11 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall constitute an of12 fense against the Government of the Virgin Islands and

13 may be prosecuted in the name of the Government of the

14 Virgin Islands by the appropriate officers thereof in the

15 United States District Court for the District of the Virgin

16 Islands without the request or consent of the United

17 States Attorney for the Virgin Islands.’’.

18 (5) APPELLATE JURISDICTION.—Section 23A of

19 the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands (48

20 U.S.C. 1613a) is amended—

21 (A) by striking ‘‘District Court of the Vir22 gin Islands’’ each place it appears and inserting

23 ‘‘United States District Court for the District

24 of the Virgin Islands’’; and

25 (B) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘pursuant

26 to section 24(a) of this title: Provided, That no
23

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1 more than one of them may be a judge of a

2 court established by local law.’’ and inserting

3 ‘‘pursuant to chapter 13 of title 28, United

4 States Code, or a recalled senior judge of the

5 former District Court of the Virgin Islands.

6 The chief judge of the United States Court of

7 Appeals for the Third Circuit may assign to the

8 appellate division a judge of a court of record

9 of the Virgin Islands, except that no more than

10 1 of the judges sitting in the appellate division

11 at any session may be a judge of a court estab12 lished by local law.’’.

13 (w) ADDITIONAL REFERENCES.—Any reference in

14 any provision of law to the ‘‘District Court for the North15 ern Mariana Islands’’ shall, after the effective date of this

16 section, be deemed to be a reference to the United States

17 District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana

18 Islands. Any reference in any provision of law to the ‘‘Dis19 trict Court of the Virgin Islands’’ shall, after the effective

20 date of this section, be deemed to be a reference to the

21 United States District Court for the District of the Virgin

22 Islands.

23 (x) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend24 ments made by this section shall take effect at the end

25 of the 90-day period beginning on the date of enactment.
24

•S 3071 IS

1 Any complaint or proceeding pending in the District Court

2 of the Virgin Islands on the effective date of this section

3 may be pursued to final determination in the United

4 States District Court for the District of the Virgin Is5 lands, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third

6 Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fed7 eral Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

8 Any complaint or proceeding pending in the District Court

9 for the Northern Mariana Islands on the effective date of

10 this section may be pursued to final determination in the

11 United States District Court for the District of the North12 ern Mariana Islands, the United States Court of Appeals

13 for the Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the

14 United States.

15 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

16 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

17 as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this

18 Act, including such sums as may be necessary to provide

19 appropriate space and facilities for the judicial positions

20 created by this Act.

21 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

22 Except as provided under section 4(x), this Act shall

23 take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.

Æ