CASE LOAD Act of 2023

Subjects: Law


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3223 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3223

To authorize additional district judges for the district court for the 
                    eastern district of California.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2023

 Mr. Costa (for himself, Mr. Obernolte, and Ms. Matsui) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize additional district judges for the district court for the 
                    eastern district of California.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Creating Additional Seats to Ease 
Legally Overburdened Adjudicators' Dockets Act of 2023'' or the ``CASE 
LOAD Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Federal district court for the eastern district of 
        California is the Federal trial court for 34 counties, 
        including five of the fastest-growing cities in the State of 
        California, serving a population of approximately 8,400,000.
            (2) The Federal district court for the eastern district of 
        California is one of the largest judicial districts in the 
        country, with approximately 8,400,000 residents and over 87,000 
        square miles of land. Yet, there are only six permanent 
        judgeships, with one upcoming vacancy pending a nomination 
        elevating a sitting district judge.
            (3) Based on the 2019 U.S. census data, the ratio of 
        authorized district judgeships to population was 1:1,362,552. 
        The central district of California has the next highest ratio 
        in the State, nearly half the size, with 1:694,323.
            (4) As of June 2022, the total pending cases per judgeship 
        in the Federal district court for the eastern district of 
        California was 1,308, over 2.6 times larger than the average 
        for all districts within the United States Court of Appeals for 
        the Ninth Circuit. Pending caseloads remain high, and if a new 
        vacancy opens upon the elevation of the district judge, 
        caseloads will once again reach this unsustainable level.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGES FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF 
              CALIFORNIA.

    (a) 2025.--
            (1) Additional judgeships.--On or after January 21, 2025, 
        the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent 
        of the Senate, 2 additional district judges for the eastern 
        district of California.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table contained in section 
        133(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking 
        the items relating to California and inserting the following:


  ``California:
  Northern.............................  14
  Eastern..............................  8
  Central..............................  27
  Southern.............................  13''.
 

            (3) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (2) 
        shall take effect on January 20, 2025.
    (b) 2027.--
            (1) Additional judgeships.--On or after January 5, 2027, 
        the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent 
        of the Senate, 1 additional district judge for the eastern 
        district of California.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table contained in section 
        133(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking 
        the items relating to California and inserting the following:


  ``California:
  Northern.............................  14
  Eastern..............................  9
  Central..............................  27
  Southern.............................  13''.
 

            (3) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (2) 
        shall take effect on January 4, 2027.
    (c) 2029.--
            (1) Additional judgeships.--On or after January 21, 2029, 
        the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent 
        of the Senate, 2 additional district judges for the eastern 
        district of California.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table contained in section 
        133(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking 
        the items relating to California and inserting the following:


  ``California:
  Northern.............................  14
  Eastern..............................  11
  Central..............................  27
  Southern.............................  13''.
 

            (3) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (2) 
        shall take effect on January 20, 2029.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, 
including such sums as may be necessary to provide appropriate space 
and facilities for the judicial positions created by this Act or an 
amendment made by this Act.
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