Fiscal Year 2023 Enacted Appropriation $29,246,000

Fiscal Year 2024 Requested Appropriation $20,688,000

Requested Decrease from Fiscal Year 2023 Enacted Appropriation ($8,558,000)

APPROPRIATION LANGUAGE

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

 CARE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

Care of the Building and Grounds

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS

 For such expenditures as may be necessary to enable the

Architect of the Capitol to carry out the duties imposed upon the

Architect by 40 U.S.C. 6111 and 6112 under the direction of the Chief Justice, 

to remain available until expended.

(P.L. 117-328 - Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2023)

1.19
Fiscal Year 2024 Resource Requirements:

FTEs Amount

Fiscal Year 2023 Enacted Appropriation............................................................................................................ 50 $ 29,246

Page 

No. Adjustments to Base to Maintain Current Services:

A. Personnel

Pay and Benefit Adjustments

1.24 1. Proposed 2024 pay adjustment (5.2% for nine months)....................................................................................... - $ 268

1.24 2. Annualization of 2023 pay adjustment (4.6% for three months).............................................................................. - $ 65

1.24 3. Promotions and within-grade increases......................................................................................................... - $ 47

1.25 4. Benefits increases - 

a. Health benefits.................................................................................................................................... - $ 42

b. FICA adjustment................................................................................................................................. - $ 3

1.25 5. One more compensable day........................................................................................................................ - $ 24

B. Other Adjustments

General Inflationary Adjustments

1.25 6. Inflationary increases in charges for contracts, services, supplies, and equipment........................................................ - $ 111

1.25 7. Reduction for non-recurring requirements..................................................................................................... - $ (18,700)

- (18,140) 

50 $ 11,106

C. Program Increases

1.26 8. Supreme Court Courtyard Restoration & Fountain Construction Cost........................................................................ - $ 3,082

1.26 9. Physical Security Improvements.................................................................................................................... - $ 6,500

 Subtotal, Program Increases............................................................................................................... - $ 9,582

 Total Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriation Required........................................................................................ 50 $ 20,688

- $ (8,558)

Subtotal, Adjustments to Base to Maintain Current Services....................................................................................

Total Current Services Appropriation Required..................................................................................................

 Total Appropriation Change, Fiscal Year 2023 to Fiscal Year 2024........................................................................

SUMMARY OF REQUEST

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

CARE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS

FISCAL YEAR 2024

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

1.20
Care of Building and Grounds, Total Obligations 24,940 36,992 20,564

Unobligated Balance, Start of Year (19,928) (9,422) (1,676)

Unobligated Balance, End of Year 9,422 1,676 1,800

.

Available Appropriation 14,434 29,246 20,688

11 Personnel compensation 4,973 5,225 5,436

12 Personnel benefits 2,023 2,125 2,211

21 Travel and transportation of things 0 2 3

23 Rent, communications and utilities 1,863 2,000 2,100

25 Other services 13,700 25,200 8,285

26 Supplies and materials 579 640 730

31 Equipment 0 0 0

32 Land and structures 1,802 1,800 1,800

Total Obligations 24,940 36,992 20,564

Description Actual Assumed Request

Activity Actual Assumed Request

Obligations by Object Class ($000)

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

CARE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS

Obligations by Activity ($000)

Fiscal Year 2022 Fiscal Year 2023 Fiscal Year 2024

Fiscal Year 2022 Fiscal Year 2023 Fiscal Year 2024

1.21
Fiscal Year 2023

Fiscal Year 2022 Assumed Fiscal Year 2024 Difference

Actuals Obligations Request (+) or (-)

Obligations incurred, net 24,940 36,992 20,564 (16,428)

Obligated balance, start of year 10,800 9,507 15,000 5,493

Adjustments to obligated balance (900) (1,000) (1,000) 0

Obligated balance, end of year (9,507) (15,000) (12,000) 3,000

Outlays 25,333 30,499 22,564

Fiscal Year 2023

Fiscal Year 2022 Assumed Fiscal Year 2024 Difference

Actual FTE Request (+) or (-)

Total compensable workyears:

 Full-time equivalent employment 46 50 50 0

1/ Full-time equivalent numbers reflect payroll funded and project funded personnel.

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

CARE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS

Relation of Obligations to Outlays ($000)

Personnel Summary1/

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1.23

GENERAL STATEMENT AND INFORMATION

This appropriation, for expenditure by the Architect of the Capitol, provides for the structural and mechanical care of the United States 

Supreme Court Building and Grounds, including maintenance and operation of mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment. The Architect 

is not responsible for custodial care, which is under the jurisdiction of the Marshal of the Supreme Court and is provided for in the Supreme 

Court’s salaries and expenses appropriation. The Architect performs his duties under authority of 40 U.S.C. § 6111. The equipment includes 

such items as air conditioning, refrigeration, and ventilating systems with more than 1,000 pieces of equipment; electrical transformer stations 

and emergency power system; three hundred plumbing fixtures and related piping; nine elevators and four dumbwaiters; electrical fixtures and 

wiring; and electronic security equipment. In FY 2024, a total of 50 full-time equivalents (FTE) are expected to cover three shifts daily. The 

FY 2024 request for the Supreme Court, Building and Grounds account totals $20,688,000. This amount fully funds the Supreme Court 

Building and Grounds’ FY 2024 requirements. 

Projects under the Architect of the Capitol relating to the buildings and grounds in the Capitol campus are included in the Legislative Branch 

budget. However, projects pertaining to the buildings and grounds of the Supreme Court are presented within this account in the judiciary’s 

budget request. 

FISCAL YEAR 2023 APPROPRIATIONS

The judiciary built the FY 2024 discretionary budget request for the Supreme Court Building and Grounds on the enacted FY 2023 

appropriation of $29,246,000. For bill language, the judiciary used the language from P.L. 117-328, Financial Services and General 

Government Appropriations Act, 2023. 
1.24

Justification of Changes 

The FY 2024 budget request for the Supreme Court of the 

United States, Care of the Building and Grounds appropriation, 

totals $20,688,000 and 50 FTEs. This represents a decrease of 

$8,558,000, or 29 percent, from the FY 2023 enacted

appropriation of $29,246,000. 

Adjustments to maintain current services include funds for pay 

and benefits, cost increases for current staff, and adjustments for 

ongoing activities, such as inflationary increases in contract rates 

and charges for services, supplies, equipment, and other general 

inflationary increase. 

Program increases totaling $9,582,000 are requested for the 

Supreme Court Courtyard Restoration project and Physical 

Security Improvements. 

ADJUSTMENTS TO BASE TO MAINTAIN CURRENT 

SERVICES:

A. PERSONNEL

Pay and Benefit Adjustments

1. Proposed 2024 pay adjustment

Requested Increase: $268,000 

The judiciary is assuming federal pay rates will increase by 5.2 

percent in January 2024. The requested increase provides for the 

cost of nine months of the anticipated pay raise in FY 2024, from 

January 2024 to September 2024. (If the pay adjustment 

included in the President’s FY 2024 budget request is different 

from this 5.2 percent guidance, the judiciary will revise this line 

item in its FY 2024 budget re-estimate.)

2. Annualization of assumed 2023 pay adjustment

Requested Increase: $65,000 

The requested increase provides for the annualized costs of the 

2023 pay adjustment for Employment Cost Index (ECI) and 

locality pay. As a result of the ECI, federal pay rates increased 

by an average of 4.6 percent, effective as of January 2023. The 

requested increase provides for the cost of three months (from 

October 2023 to December 2023) of the 2023 pay increase in 

FY 2024 

3. Promotions and within-grade increases

Requested Increase: $47,000 

The requested increase provides for promotions, within-grade 

increases, and other adjustments, such as career ladder pay 

increases for support personnel. Increases for within-grades 
1.25

are authorized by 5 U.S.C. §§ 5102(c)(7), 5102(d), 5341-5349 

for wage board employees and by 5 U.S.C. §§ 5331-5336 for 

general schedule employees.

4. Benefits increases

a. Health benefits

Requested Increase: $42,000 

Based on information from the Office of Personnel Management, 

health benefit premium contributions increased an average of 6.6 

percent in January 2023 and are projected to increase by 6.6 

percent in January 2024. The requested increase annualizes the 

2023 premium increase and includes a nine-month provision for 

the increase anticipated for FY 2024. 

b. FICA adjustment

Requested Increase: $3,000 

Based on information from the Social Security Administration, 

employer contributions to the Old Age, Survivor, and Disability 

Insurance (OASDI) portion of the FICA tax will increase in 

2023. The salary cap for OASDI increased from $147,000 to 

$160,200 in January 2023. The requested amount is needed to 

pay the agency contribution in FY 2024. 

5. One more compensable day

Requested Increase: $24,000 

There is one more compensable day in FY 2024 than in 

FY 2023. The requested increase adjusts for personnel 

compensation and benefits associated with one more

compensable day. 

B. OTHER ADJUSTMENTS

General Inflationary Adjustments

6. Inflationary increases in charges for contracts,

services, supplies, and equipment

Requested Increase: $111,000 

Consistent with guidance from the Office of Management 

and Budget, this request of $111,000 is required to fund 

inflationary increases of 2.4 percent for operating expenses 

such as travel, communications, printing, contractual 

services, supplies and materials, and furniture and equipment. 

7. Reduction for non-recurring requirements

Requested Decrease: ( $18,700,000) 

The requested decrease of $18,700,000 is for non-recurring 
1.26

requirements associated with additional physical security 

upgrades and the FY 2023 phase of the Supreme Court 

Courtyard Restoration. 

C. PROGRAM INCREASES

8. Supreme Court Courtyard Restoration

Requested Increase: $3,082,000 

The Supreme Court’s courtyards and plazas include stone 

carvings, fountains, plumbing, and electrical systems that are 

original to the building, constructed in 1935. Congress 

funded $4,800,000 of this multi-year project in FY 2017. In 

FY 2022, the Supreme Court reprogrammed $8,500,000 to 

support the project. In FY 2023, Congress provided an 

additional $15,900,000. This FY 2024 request of $3,082,000 

will be further reduced to $2,500,000 in FY 2025, the final 

program year of the project. 

This request funds the remaining stone restoration work in 

the courtyards as well as the complete replacement of failed 

courtyard electrical systems. Both projects will mitigate 

significant safety concerns. This request also funds fountain 

restoration, which replaces all mechanical equipment and 

installs pH monitoring and controls equipment for Supreme 

Court fountains located in the courtyards and plazas. The 

new equipment will be incorporated into the Building 

Automation System for controls and monitoring which will 

enhance energy efficiency and conserve substantial amounts 

of potable water. 

9. Physical Security Improvements

Requested Increase: $6,500,000 

Funding is requested for physical security upgrades resulting 

from a comprehensive review and recommendations by the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The requested funding is 

needed to reinforce the building envelope.