An Act to improve judicial machinery by providing for the appointment of a circuit executive for each judicial circuit
PL 91-647 (H.R.17901), enacted 01/05/1971

84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-647-JAN. 5, 1971 
1907 
(2) property owners will be paid or i-eimbursed for necessary 
expenses as specified in sections 303 and 304. 
REPEALS 
SEC. 306. Sections 401,402, and 403 of the Housing and Urban Devel-
opment Act of 1965 (42 tJ.S.C. 3071-3073), section 35(a) of the 
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 (23 U.S.C. 141) and section 301 of 
the Land Acquisition Policy Act of 1960 (33 U.S.C. 596) are hereby 
repealed. Any rights or liabilities now existing under prior Acts or 
portions thereof shall not be affected by the repeal of such prior Act or 
portions thereof under this section. 
Approved January 2, 1971. 
79 Stat. 485. 
82 Stat. 836. 
74 Stat. 502. 
Public Law 91-647 
AN ACT 
To improve judicial machinery by providing for the appointment of a circuit 
executive for each judicial circuit. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 332 of 
title 28, United States Code, is amended (a) by designating each of 
the existing paragraphs thereof as subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d), 
respectively; and (b) by inserting new subsections (e) and (f) to 
read: 
"(e) The judicial council of each circuit may appoint a circuit 
executive from among persons who shall be certified by the Board of 
Certification. The circuit executive shall exercise such administra-
tive powers and perform such duties as may be delegated to him by 
the circuit council. The duties delegated to the circuit executive of 
each circuit may include but need not be limited to: 
"(1) Exercising administrative control of all nonjudicial activities 
of the court of appeals of the circuit in which he is appointed. 
" (2) Administering the personnel system of the court of appeals of 
the circuit. 
" (3) Administering the budget of the court of appeals of the circuit. 
" (4) Maintaining a modern accounting system. 
"(5) Establishing and maintaining property control records and 
undertaking a space management program. 
"(6) Conducting studies relating to the business and administra-
tion of the courts within the circuit and preparing appropriate recom-
mendations and reports to the chief judge, the circuit council, and the 
Judicial Conference. 
"(7) Collecting, compiling, and analyzing statistical data with a 
view to the preparation and presentation of reports based on such 
data as may be directed by the chief judge, the circuit council, and 
the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. 
"(8) Representing the circuit as its liaison to the courts of the 
various States in which the circuit is located, the marshal's office, 
State and local bar associations, civic groups, news media, and other 
private and public groups having a reasonable interest in the admin-
istration of the circuit. 
January 5, 1971 
[H.R. 17901] 
Circuit court 
executives. 
Appointment. 
62 Stat. 902; 
77 Stat. 331. 
Duties. 
47-348 O - 72 - 37 (Pt. 2) 
1908 
PUBLIC LAW 91-647-JAN. 5, 1971 
[84 STAT. 
Certification 
standards. 
Ante, p. 198-1. 
Compensation. 
83 Stat. 864. 
80 Stat. 564. 
5 use 8331. 
5 use 8701. 
5 use 8901. 
" (9) Arranging and attending meetings of the judges of the circuit 
and of the circuit council, including preparing the agenda and serving 
as secretary in all such meetings. 
"(10) Preparing an annual report to the circuit and to the Admin-
istrative Office of the United States Courts for the preceding 
calendar year, including recommendations for more expeditious dis-
position of the business of the circuit. 
"All duties delegated to the circuit executive shall be subject to 
the general supervision of the chief judge of the circuit. 
"(f) The standards for certification as qualified to be a circuit 
executive shall be set by a Board of Certification. These standards 
shall take into account experience in administrative and executive 
positions, familiarity with court procedures, and special training. 
The Board of Certification shall consist of five members, three of 
whom shall be elected by the Judicial Conference of the United States, 
and at least one of these three shall be selected from among persons 
experienced in executive recruitment and selection. The additional 
two members shall be tlie Director of the Administrative Office of 
the L'nited States Courts and the Director of the Federal Judicial 
Center. The members of the Board elected by the Judicial Confer-
ence shall each serve for three years except that upon appointment of 
the first members, one member shall serve for one year, one for two 
years, and one for three years. The Board shall consider all applicants 
who apply for certification, shall certify qualified applicants, shall 
maintain a roster of all persons certified, and shall publish the standards 
for certification. A person's name shall be removed from the roster 
after three years unless he is recertified. Three members of the Board 
shall constitute a quorum for purposes of fixing standards and for 
certifying applicants, but no action of the Board shall be taken unless 
three of the members are in agreement. The Director of the Admin-
istrative Office of the United States Courts shall provide staff 
assistance in support of the operation of the Board. Expenses of the 
Board of Certification shall be borne by the travel and miscellaneous 
expense funds appropriated to the Federal judiciary. Any member of 
the Board who is an officer or employee of the United States shall 
serve without compensation. Other members shall receive the daily 
equivalent of the rate provided for GS-18 of the General Schedule 
contained in section 5332 of title 5, LTnited States Code, when actually 
engaged in service for the Board. 
"Each circuit executive shall be paid at a salary to be established by 
the Judicial Conference of the United States not to exceed the annual 
i-ate of level V of the Executive Schedule pay rates (5 U.S.C. 5316). 
"The circuit executive shall serve at the pleasure of the judicial 
council of the circuit. 
"The circuit executive may appoint, with the approval of the coun-
cil, necessary employees in such number as may be approved by the 
Director of tlie Administrative Office of the United States Courts. 
"The circuit executive and his staff shall be deemed to be officers and 
employees of the judicial branch of the United States Government 
within the meaning of subchapter I I I of chapter 83 (relating to civil 
service retirement), chapter 87 (relating to Federal employees' life 
insurance program), and chapter 89 (relating to Federal employees' 
liealth benefits program) of title 5, United States Code." 
Approved January 5, 1971.