JUDGES Act
Bill: H.R.4885 | Sponsor: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. (R-CA)
Policy area: Law

Summary:
Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act or the JUDGES Act
This bill requires the appointment of additional U.S. district court judges, converts certain temporary district court judgeships into permanent judgeships, and requires the Government Accountability Office to report on vacant or underused federal courthouses.
Specifically, the bill requires the appointment of 39 district court judges on or after January 21, 2025, in specified judicial districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas.
Further, 38 district court judges must be appointed on or after January 21, 2029, in specified judicial districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.
Additionally, the bill converts certain temporary district court judgeships to permanent judgeships in specified judicial districts in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas.

To authorize additional district judges for the district courts and 
                     convert temporary judgeships.

    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 ``Judicial Understaffing Delays 
Getting Emergencies Solved Act'' or the ``JUDGES Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Judicial Conference of the United States requested 
        the creation of 77 new district judges in its 2021 report.
            (2) The Judicial Conference of the United States has named 
        37 vacancies as judicial emergencies.
            (3) As of March 31, 2021, there were 696,789 pending cases, 
        averaging 803 filings per judgeship.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGES FOR THE DISTRICT COURTS.

    (a) Additional Judgeships.--
            (1) 2025.--On or after January 21, 2025, the President 
        shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the 
        Senate--
                    (A) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                Arizona;
                    (B) 7 additional district judges for the central 
                district of California;
                    (C) 2 additional district judges for the eastern 
                district of California;
                    (D) 3 additional district judges for the northern 
                district of California;
                    (E) 3 additional district judges for the southern 
                district of California;
                    (F) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                Colorado;
                    (G) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                Delaware;
                    (H) 3 additional district judges for the middle 
                district of Florida;
                    (I) 1 additional district judge for the northern 
                district of Florida;
                    (J) 1 additional district judge for the southern 
                district of Florida;
                    (K) 1 additional district judge for the northern 
                district of Georgia;
                    (L) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                Idaho;
                    (M) 1 additional district judge for the southern 
                district of Indiana;
                    (N) 1 additional district judge for the northern 
                district of Iowa;
                    (O) 2 additional district judges for the district 
                of New Jersey;
                    (P) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                New Mexico;
                    (Q) 1 additional district judge for the eastern 
                district of New York;
                    (R) 1 additional district judge for the southern 
                district of New York;
                    (S) 1 additional district judge for the western 
                district of New York;
                    (T) 1 additional district judge for the eastern 
                district of Texas;
                    (U) 2 additional district judges for the southern 
                district of Texas; and
                    (V) 3 additional district judges for the western 
                district of Texas.
            (2) 2029.--On or after January 21, 2029, the President 
        shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the 
        Senate--
                    (A) 3 additional district judges for the district 
                of Arizona;
                    (B) 8 additional district judges for the central 
                district of California;
                    (C) 2 additional district judges for the eastern 
                district of California;
                    (D) 2 additional district judges for the northern 
                district of California;
                    (E) 3 additional district judges for the southern 
                district of California;
                    (F) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                Colorado;
                    (G) 1 additional district judge for the district of 
                Delaware;
                    (H) 4 additional district judges for the middle 
                district of Florida;
                    (I) 2 additional district judges for the southern 
                district of Florida;
                    (J) 1 additional district judge for the northern 
                district of Georgia;
                    (K) 1 additional district judge for the southern 
                district of Indiana;
                    (L) 3 additional district judges for the district 
                of New Jersey;
                    (M) 1 additional district judge for the eastern 
                district of New York;
                    (N) 1 additional district judge for the eastern 
                district of Texas;
                    (O) 2 additional district judges for the southern 
                district of Texas; and
                    (P) 3 additional district judges for the western 
                district of Texas.
    (b) Conversion of Temporary Judgeships.--The existing judgeships 
for the district of Kansas, and the eastern district of Missouri 
authorized by section 203(c) of the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 
(Public Law 101-650; 28 U.S.C. 133 note) and the existing judgeships 
for the northern district of Alabama, the district of Arizona, the 
central district of California, the southern district of Florida, the 
district of New Mexico, the western district of North Carolina, and the 
eastern district of Texas authorized by section 312(c) of the 21st 
Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act (Public 
Law 107-273, 28 U.S.C. 133 note), as of the date of enactment of this 
Act, shall be authorized under section 133 of title 28, United States 
Code, and the incumbents in those offices shall hold the office under 
section 133 of title 28, United States Code, as amended by this Act.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--The table contained in 
section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking the items relating to Alabama and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Alabama:
  Northern.............................  8
  Middle...............................  3
  Southern.............................  3'';
 

            (2) by striking the item relating to Arizona and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Arizona............................  17'';
 

            (3) by striking the items relating to California and 
        inserting the following:


  ``California:
  Northern.............................  19
  Eastern..............................  10
  Central..............................  43
  Southern.............................  19'';
 

            (4) by striking the item relating to Colorado and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Colorado...........................  9'';
 

            (5) by striking the item relating to Delaware and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Delaware...........................  6'';
 

            (6) by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Florida:
  Northern.............................  5
  Middle...............................  22
  Southern.............................  21'';
 

            (7) by striking the items relating to Georgia and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Georgia:
  Northern.............................  13
  Middle...............................  4
  Southern.............................  3'';
 

            (8) by striking the item relating to Idaho and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Idaho..............................  3'';
 

            (9) by striking the items relating to Indiana and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Indiana:
  Northern.............................  5
  Southern.............................  7'';
 

            (10) by striking the items relating to Iowa and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Iowa:
  Northern.............................  3
  Southern.............................  3'';
 

            (11) by striking the item relating to Kansas and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Kansas.............................  6'';
 

            (12) by striking the items relating to Missouri and 
        inserting the following:


  ``Missouri:
  Eastern..............................  7
  Western..............................  5
  Eastern and Western..................  2'';
 

            (13) by striking the item relating to New Jersey and 
        inserting the following:


  ``New Jersey.........................  22'';
 

            (14) by striking the item relating to New Mexico and 
        inserting the following:


  ``New Mexico.........................  8'';
 

            (15) by striking the items relating to New York and 
        inserting the following:


  ``New York:
  Northern.............................  5
  Southern.............................  29
  Eastern..............................  17
  Western..............................  5'';
 

            (16) by striking the items relating to North Carolina and 
        inserting the following:


  ``North Carolina:
  Eastern..............................  4
  Middle...............................  4
  Western..............................  5'';
 

        and
            (17) by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting 
        the following:


  ``Texas:
  Northern.............................  12
  Southern.............................  23
  Eastern..............................  10
  Western..............................  19''.
 

SEC. 4. GAO REPORT ON VACANT AND UNDERUTILIZED COURTHOUSES.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall make publicly available 
a report identifying Federal courthouses that are vacant or underused.

SEC. 5. 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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