II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2535 

To authorize additional district judges for the district courts and convert 

temporary judgeships. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2021 

Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mr. COONS) 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: 


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1 (1) The Judicial Conference of the United 

2 States requested the creation of 77 new district 

3 judges in its 2021 report. 

4 (2) The Judicial Conference of the United 

5 States has named 37 vacancies as judicial emer6 gencies. 

7 (3) As of March 31, 2021, there were 696,789 

8 pending cases, averaging 803 filings per judgeship. 

9 SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGES FOR THE DISTRICT 

10 COURTS. 

11 (a) ADDITIONAL JUDGESHIPS.— 

12 (1) 2025.—On or after January 21, 2025, the 

13 President shall appoint, by and with the advice and 

14 consent of the Senate— 

15 (A) 1 additional district judge for the dis16 trict of Arizona; 

17 (B) 7 additional district judges for the cen18 tral district of California; 

19 (C) 2 additional district judges for the 

20 eastern district of California; 

21 (D) 3 additional district judges for the 

22 northern district of California; 

23 (E) 3 additional district judges for the 

24 southern district of California; 


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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) 1 additional district judge for the 

8 northern district of Florida; 

9 (J) 1 additional district judge for the 

10 southern district of Florida; 

11 (K) 1 additional district judge for the 

12 northern district of Georgia; 

13 (L) 1 additional district judge for the dis14 trict of Idaho; 

15 (M) 1 additional district judge for the 

16 southern district of Indiana; 

17 (N) 1 additional district judge for the 

18 northern district of Iowa; 

19 (O) 2 additional district judges for the dis20 trict of New Jersey; 

21 (P) 1 additional district judge for the dis22 trict of New Mexico; 

23 (Q) 1 additional district judge for the east24 ern district of New York; 


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1 (R) 1 additional district judge for the 

2 southern district of New York; 

3 (S) 1 additional district judge for the west4 ern district of New York; 

5 (T) 1 additional district judge for the east6 ern district of Texas; 

7 (U) 2 additional district judges for the 

8 southern district of Texas; and 

9 (V) 3 additional district judges for the 

10 western district of Texas. 

11 (2) 2029.—On or after January 21, 2029, the 

12 President shall appoint, by and with the advice and 

13 consent of the Senate— 

14 (A) 3 additional district judges for the dis15 trict of Arizona; 

16 (B) 8 additional district judges for the cen17 tral district of California; 

18 (C) 2 additional district judges for the 

19 eastern district of California; 

20 (D) 2 additional district judges for the 

21 northern district of California; 

22 (E) 3 additional district judges for the 

23 southern district of California; 

24 (F) 1 additional district judge for the dis25 trict of Colorado; 


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1 (G) 1 additional district judge for the dis2 trict of Delaware; 

3 (H) 4 additional district judges for the 

4 middle district of Florida; 

5 (I) 2 additional district judges for the 

6 southern district of Florida; 

7 (J) 1 additional district judge for the 

8 northern district of Georgia; 

9 (K) 1 additional district judge for the 

10 southern district of Indiana; 

11 (L) 3 additional district judges for the dis12 trict of New Jersey; 

13 (M) 1 additional district judge for the 

14 eastern district of New York; 

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

17 (O) 2 additional district judges for the 

18 southern district of Texas; and 

19 (P) 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 Kansas, and the 

23 eastern district of Missouri authorized by section 203(c) 

24 of the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 (Public Law 

25 101–650; 28 U.S.C. 133 note) and the existing judgeships 


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1 for the northern district of Alabama, the district of Ari2 zona, the central district of California, the southern dis3 trict of Florida, the district of New Mexico, the western 

4 district of North Carolina, and the eastern district of 

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

6 Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act 

7 (Public Law 107–273, 28 U.S.C. 133 note), as of the date 

8 of enactment of this Act, shall be authorized under section 

9 133 of title 28, United States Code, and the incumbents 

10 in those offices shall hold the office under section 133 of 

11 title 28, United States Code, as amended by this Act. 

12 (c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

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

14 States Code, is amended— 

15 (1) by striking the items relating to Alabama 

16 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Alabama: 

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

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

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

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

18 inserting the following: 

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

19 (3) by striking the items relating to California 

20 and inserting the following: 

‘‘California: 

Northern ................................................................. 19 

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

Central .................................................................... 43 


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Southern ................................................................. 19’’; 

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 ............................................................... 6’’; 

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

6 inserting the following: 

‘‘Florida: 

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

Middle ..................................................................... 22 

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

7 (7) by striking the items relating to Georgia 

8 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Georgia: 

Northern ................................................................. 13 

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

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

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

10 inserting the following: 

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

11 (9) by striking the items relating to Indiana 

12 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Indiana: 

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

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

13 (10) by striking the items relating to Iowa and 

14 inserting the following: 


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‘‘Iowa: 

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

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

1 (11) by striking the item relating to Kansas 

2 and inserting the following: 

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

3 (12) by striking the items relating to Missouri 

4 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Missouri: 

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

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

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

5 (13) by striking the item relating to New Jer6 sey and inserting the following: 

‘‘New Jersey ........................................................... 22’’; 

7 (14) by striking the item relating to New Mex8 ico and inserting the following: 

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

9 (15) by striking the items relating to New York 

10 and inserting the following: 

‘‘New York: 

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

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

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

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

11 (16) by striking the items relating to North 

12 Carolina and inserting the following: 

‘‘North Carolina: 

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

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

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


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1 and 

2 (17) by striking the items relating to Texas and 

3 inserting the following: 

‘‘Texas: 

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

Southern ................................................................. 23 

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

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

4 SEC. 4. GAO REPORT ON VACANT AND UNDERUTILIZED 

5 COURTHOUSES. 

6 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

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

8 shall make publicly available a report identifying Federal 

9 courthouses that are vacant or underused. 

10 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

12 as may be necessary to carry out this Act and the amend13 ments made by this Act, including such sums as may be 

14 necessary to provide appropriate space and facilities for 

15 the judicial positions created by this Act or an amendment 

16 made by this Act. 

Æ 


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