To amend title 28, United States Code, to divide the ninth judicial circuit of the United States into 2 circuits, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill divides the current Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Appeals into two separate circuits. The new Ninth Circuit would cover California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands with 21 judges. A brand-new Twelfth Circuit would cover Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada with 8 judges, holding court in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Anchorage, and Missoula. The bill includes detailed provisions for reassigning current judges, handling pending cases, and transitioning administrative operations.
Who Benefits and How
Litigants in the new Twelfth Circuit states (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada) would benefit from a smaller, more regionally focused appeals court that may process cases faster. Judges in those states gain the option to stay in the new Twelfth Circuit or elect to join the new Ninth Circuit. The President gains new judicial appointment opportunities as vacancies arise.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The federal government bears the cost of establishing new court facilities, staffing, and administrative infrastructure for the Twelfth Circuit. The existing Ninth Circuit must manage a complex administrative transition over two years. Litigants with pending cases face potential transfers between circuits.
Key Provisions
- Creates the Twelfth Circuit covering Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada with 8 judges
- Retains the Ninth Circuit with 21 judges covering California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands
- Allows existing judges to elect which circuit to join
- Provides for temporary judgeships to ensure adequate staffing
- Establishes rules for transferring pending cases between the two new circuits
- Takes effect one year after enactment with a two-year administrative transition
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Splits the Ninth Judicial Circuit into two circuits: a new Ninth Circuit covering California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and a new Twelfth Circuit covering Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada.
Key Policy Areas
Law & Criminal Justice, Government Operations
Primary Purpose
Splits the Ninth Judicial Circuit into two circuits: a new Ninth Circuit covering California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and a new Twelfth Circuit covering Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada.
Policy Domains
Whole Bill
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Litigants in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada
- The President (new appointment opportunities)
- Proponents of a smaller, more regionally focused appeals court
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Federal government (establishment costs)
- Existing Ninth Circuit (administrative transition)
- Litigants with pending cases (potential transfer)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Biggs of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "director_admin_office"
- → Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The ninth judicial circuit as it exists before this Act takes effect.
The ninth judicial circuit as reconstituted by this Act (CA, HI, OR, WA, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands).
The new twelfth judicial circuit created by this Act (AK, AZ, ID, MT, NV).
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology