Ninth Circuit Court Modernization and Twelfth Circuit Court Creation Act of 2017

To amend title 28, United States Code, to divide the ninth judicial circuit of the United States into 2 circuits, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ninth Circuit Court Modernization and Twelfth Circuit Court Creation Act of 2017 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Former ninth circuit The term former ninth circuit (2) New ninth circuit The term new ninth circuit (3) Twelfth circuit The term twelfth circuit 3. Number and composition of circuits Section 41 of title 28, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the matter preceding the table, by striking thirteen fourteen (2) in the table— (A) by striking the item relating to the ninth circuit and inserting the following: Ninth California. ; and (B) by inserting after the item relating to the eleventh circuit the following: Twelfth Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii. . 4. Number of circuit judges The table contained in section 44(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to the eleventh circuit the following: Twelfth 17 . 5. Places of circuit court The table contained in section 48(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by— (1) deleting Portland Seattle (2) inserting after the item relating to the eleventh circuit the following: Twelfth Las Vegas, Phoenix, Anchorage, Missoula, Portland, Seattle. . 6. Judgeships (a) In general Each circuit judge of the former ninth circuit who is in regular active service and whose official duty station on the day before the effective date of this Act is in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii, or the Northern Mariana Islands or Nevada shall be a circuit judge of the new ninth circuit as of such effective date. (b) Appointment of judges for the twelfth circuit The President shall appoint, by and with the advice of the Senate, 17 circuit judges for the new twelfth circuit, selected from the States assigned to the new twelfth circuit. The official duty station of a judge appointed under this paragraph shall be the locations in the table contained in section 48(a) of title 28, United States Code, as amended by this Act. 7. Election of assignment by senior judges Each judge who is a senior circuit judge of the former ninth circuit, whose official duty station on the day before the effective date of this Act is in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, or the Northern Mariana Islands, may elect to be assigned to the new ninth circuit or the twelfth circuit as of such effective date and shall notify the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts of such election. 8. Seniority of judges The seniority of each judge appointed under section 6(b) shall run from the date of commission of such judge as a judge of the twelfth circuit. 9. Application to cases The following apply to any case in which, on the day before the effective date of this Act, an appeal or other proceeding has been filed with the former ninth circuit: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), if the matter has been submitted for decision, further proceedings with respect to the matter shall be had in the same manner and with the same effect as if this Act had not been enacted. (2) If the matter has not been submitted for decision, the appeal or proceeding, together with the original papers, printed records, and record entries duly certified, shall, by appropriate orders, be transferred to the court to which the matter would have been submitted had this Act been in full force and effect on the date on which such appeal was taken or other proceeding commenced, and further proceedings with respect to the case shall be had in the same manner and with the same effect as if the appeal or other proceeding had been filed in such court. (3) If a petition for rehearing en banc is pending on or after the effective date of this Act, the petition shall be considered by the court of appeals to which the petition would have been submitted had this Act been in full force and effect on the date on which the appeal or other proceeding was filed with the court of appeals. 10. Administration The court of appeals for the ninth circuit as constituted on the day before the effective date of this Act may take such administrative action as may be required to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act. 11. Effective date This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect immediately upon enactment of this Act. 12. 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 any judicial positions created by this Act or an amendment made by this Act.

Summary: Ninth Circuit Court Modernization and Twelfth Circuit Court Creation Act of 2017 This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into: (1) a new Ninth Circuit that consists of only California; and (2) a newly established Twelfth Circuit to be composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and Hawaii. The Twelfth Circuit must hold regular sessions in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Anchorage, Missoula, Portland, and Seattle. Each circuit judge of the former Ninth Circuit who is in regular active service and whose official duty station is currently in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, or Nevada shall be a circuit judge of the new Ninth Circuit. The President shall appoint, with the advice of the Senate, 17 circuit judges for the new Twelfth Circuit, selected from the states assigned to that circuit. Senior circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit currently stationed in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, or the Northern Mariana Islands may elect their circuit assignment.