JUDICIAL RETIREMENT FUNDS

Payment to Judiciary Trust FundsSUMMARY STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS

Fiscal Year 2019 Assumed Appropriation Fiscal Year 2020 Requested Appropriation 

Requested Increase from Fiscal Year 2019 Assumed Appropriation 

Title VI General Provisions

 Sec. [619]___. (a) There are appropriated for the following activities the amounts required under current law:

(1) Compensation of the President (3 U.S.C. 102).(2) Payments to-- (A) the Judicial Officers' Retirement Fund (28 U.S.C. 377(o)); (B) the Judicial Survivors' Annuities Fund (28 U.S.C. 376(c)); and (C) the United States Court of Federal Claims Judges' Retirement Fund (28 U.S.C. 178(l)).(3) Payment of Government contributions-- (A) with respect to the health benefits of retired employees, as authorized by chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, and the Retired Federal Employees Health Benefits Act (74 Stat. 849); and (B) with respect to the life insurance benefits for employees retiring after December 31, 1989 (5 U.S.C. ch. 87).(4) Payment to finance the unfunded liability of new and increased annuity benefits under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fun(5) Payment of annuities authorized to be paid from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund by statutory provisions other than suchapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code.

 (b) Nothing in this section may be construed to exempt any amount appropriated by this section from any otherwise applicable limitation on th

 contained in this Act.

(H.R. 6147 - Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019)Explanation

The highlighted section provides appropriations for payments to the Judicial Officers' Retirement Fund, the Judicial Survivors' Annuities Fund, and the United StFederal Claims Judges' Retirement Fund. The judiciary proposes to retain this language in Title VI of the Financial Services and General Government appropriat
Fiscal Year 2020 Resource Requirements:

FTEs 

Fiscal Year 2019 Assumed Appropriation .............................................................................. - 

Page

No. Adjustments to Base

13.6 1. Increase in payment to the Judicial Officers' Retirement Fund..................................................... - 

13.6 2. Increase in payment to the Judicial Survivors' Annuities Fund................................................. - 

13.6 3. Decrease in payment to the Court of Federal Claims Judges' Retirement Fund.................................... 

-

 Subtotal, Adjustments to Base..................................................................................... - 

 

-

 

-

Total Appropriation Required, Fiscal Year 2020........................................................................

 Total Appropriation Increase, Fiscal Year 2019 to Fiscal Year 2020..........................................

FISCAL YEAR 2020

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

SUMMARY OF REQUEST

JUDICIAL RETIREMENT FUNDS

PAYMENT TO JUDICIARY TRUST FUNDS
Fiscal Year 2018 

Actual

Fiscal Year 2019 

Assumed 

Obligations/

Appropriation

Fiscal 

R

Trust Fund, Total Obligations 195,000 211,700 Available Appropriation 195,000 211,700 

Fiscal Year 2018 

Actual

Fiscal Year 2019 

Assumed 

Obligations/

Appropriation

Fiscal 

R

25 Other services 195,000 211,700 

Total obligations 195,000 211,700 

Object Classification ($000)

PAYMENT TO JUDICIARY TRUST FUND

Obligations by activity ($000)

Description

Activity
FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 Dif

Actual Assumed Obli

gations Request (+

Obligations incurred, net 195,000 211,700 240,100 2Obligated balance, start of year ... ... ... Obligated balance, end of year ... ... ... 

Net Outlays 195,000 211,700 240,100 2

PAYMENT TO JUDICIARY TRUST FUND

Relation of Obligations to Outlays ($000)
GENERAL STATEMENT AND INFORMATION 

This appropriation is divided among three trust funds that finance payments to (1) retired bankruptcy and magistr

spouses and dependent children of deceased judges, and (3) retired Court of Federal Claims judges. This accoun

mandatory appropriation by Congress. Statutes governing the three funds authorize the appropriation of amounts to cover the liability that accrues each installment on any unfunded liability. Although the funds (except for the Court of Federal Claims fund) receive 

contributions and all of the funds earn interest on investment holdings, the purpose of the appropriation provision 

sufficient funds are deposited annually to cover anticipated benefit payments in the distant future as well as in thappropriation request is calculated annually by an enrolled actuary pursuant to 31 U.S.C. § 9503, Public Law 95-

The Three Trust Funds 

1) The Judicial Officers’ Retirement Fund was established in 1988 to provide a pension to bankruptcy and full-t

judges (28 U.S.C. § 377(o)). 

2) The Judicial Survivors’ Annuities Fund was established in 1956 to provide annuities to widows, widowers, a

children of judges and other officials who have elected to participate in the program: Justices and judges of thto include Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; full-time bankruptcy judges; full-timmagistrate judges; judges of the United States Court of Federal Claims; the Directors of the Federal Judicial CAdministrative Office of the United States Courts; and the Counselor to the Chief Justice of the United States § 376(c)). 

3) The Court of Federal Claims Judges’ Retirement Fund was established in 1990 to provide a pension plan to r

States Court of Federal Claims judges (28 U.S.C. § 178(l)). Appointment under Chapter 7 of Title 28 or serv

167 of the Federal Courts Improvements Act of 1982 automatically qualifies a judge to participate. 
FISCAL YEAR 2019 APPROPRIATIONS ASSUMPTION 

In the absence of enacted full year fiscal year (FY) 2019 appropriations, the judiciary made assumptions to constrequest. The judiciary’s FY 2020 budget request for Judicial Retirement Funds assumes the FY 2019 budget reqestimate for FY 2019. This amount would fully fund FY 2019 requirements for the three retirement trust funds. 

For bill language, the judiciary used the language from H.R. 6147, the House-passed FY 2019 Financial Services 

Government (FSGG) appropriations bill, as the closest approximation of eventual enacted FY 2019 appropriation

After full year FY 2019 appropriations are enacted, the judiciary will re-estimate its FY2020 budget request and 

Appropriations Committees any changes to FY 2020 appropriations requirements or language. 
JUSTIFICATION OF CHANGES The appropriation request for FY 2020 is $240,100,000, a net increase of $28,400,000 above the assumed appropriation level in FY 2019. This net increase is requested as follows: an increase of $22,600,000 for the Judicial Officers’ Retirement Fund, an increase of $6,400,000 for the Judicial Survivors’ Annuities Fund, and a decrease of $600,000 for the Court of Federal Claims Judges’ Retirement Fund. ADJUSTMENTS TO BASE 1. Increase in payment to the Judicial Officers’ 

Retirement Fund 

Mandatory Increase: $22,600,000 The assumed appropriation level for FY 2019 is $181,300,000. Based on actuarial calculations, $203,900,000, an increase of $22,600,000, is required to draw down the unfunded liability in FY 2020. 

2. Increase in payment to the Judicial Su

Fund 

Mandatory Increase: $6,400,000 The assumed appropriation level for FY 2Based on actuarial calculations, $32,400,0$6,400,000, is required to draw down the FY 2020. 3. Decrease in payment to the Court of F

Judges’ Retirement Fund 

Mandatory Decrease: -$600,000 The assumed appropriation level for FY 2Based on actuarial calculations, $3,800,00$600,000, is required to draw down the un2020.