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Section 1
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2025 or the JUDGES Act of 2025.
Section 2
2. Findings Congress finds the following: Article III of the Constitution of the United States gives Congress the power to establish judgeships in the district courts of the United States. Congress has not created a new district court judgeship since 2003 and has not enacted comprehensive judgeship legislation since 1990. This represents the longest period of time since district courts of the United States were established in 1789 that Congress has not authorized any new permanent district court judgeships. By the end of fiscal year 2022, filings in the district courts of the United States had increased by 30 percent since the last comprehensive judgeship legislation. As of March 31, 2023, there were 686,797 pending cases in the district courts of the United States, with an average of 491 weighted case filings per judgeship over a 12-month period. To deal with increased filings in the district courts of the United States, the Judicial Conference of the United States requested the creation of 66 new district court judgeships in its 2023 report.
Section 3
3. Additional district judges for the district courts The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate— 1 additional district judge for the central district of California; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the district of Delaware; 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Indiana; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Iowa; 1 additional district judge for the district of New Jersey; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of New York; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of Texas; and 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Texas. 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: by striking the item relating to Delaware and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Indiana and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Iowa and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to New Jersey and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to New York and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following: This paragraph shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate— 1 additional district judge for the district of Arizona; 2 additional district judges for the central district of California; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Georgia; 1 additional district judge for the district of Idaho; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Texas; and 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Texas. The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (1) of this subsection, is amended— by striking the item relating to Arizona and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Georgia and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to Idaho and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following: This paragraph shall take effect on January 21, 2027. The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate— 1 additional district judge for the central district of California; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the district of Colorado; 1 additional district judge for the district of Delaware; 1 additional district judge for the district of Nebraska; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of New York; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Oklahoma; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of Texas; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Texas; and 1 additional district judge for the western district of Texas. The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (2) of this subsection, is amended— by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to Colorado and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to Delaware and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to Nebraska and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to New York and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Oklahoma and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following: This paragraph shall take effect on January 21, 2029. The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate— 1 additional district judge for the district of Arizona; 1 additional district judge for the central district of California; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the district of New Jersey; 1 additional district judge for the western district of New York; and 2 additional district judges for the western district of Texas. The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (3) of this subsection, is amended— by striking the item relating to Arizona and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to New Jersey and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to New York and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following: This paragraph shall take effect on January 21, 2031. The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate— 2 additional district judges for the central district of California; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the district of Colorado; 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Georgia; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of New York; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of Oklahoma; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Texas; and 1 additional district judge for the western district of Texas. The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (4) of this subsection, is amended— by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to Colorado and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Georgia and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to New York and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Oklahoma and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following: This paragraph shall take effect on January 21, 2033. The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate— 2 additional district judges for the central district of California; 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of California; 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Florida; 1 additional district judge for the district of New Jersey; 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of New York; and 2 additional district judges for the western district of Texas. The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (5) of this subsection, is amended— by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following: by striking the item relating to New Jersey and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to New York and inserting the following: by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following: This paragraph shall take effect on January 21, 2035. The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of Oklahoma. The first vacancy in the office of district judge in each of the offices of district judge authorized by this subsection, occurring 5 years or more after the confirmation date of the judge named to fill the temporary district judgeship created in the applicable district by this subsection, shall not be filled. This subsection shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section and the amendments made by this section— for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026, $12,965,330; for each of fiscal years 2027 and 2028, $23,152,375; for each of fiscal years 2029 and 2030, $32,413,325; for each of fiscal years 2031 and 2032, $42,600,370; for each of fiscal years 2033 and 2034, $51,861,320; and for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal year thereafter, $61,122,270. For each fiscal year described in paragraph (1), the amount authorized to be appropriated for such fiscal year shall be increased by the percentage by which— the Consumer Price Index for the previous fiscal year, exceeds the Consumer Price Index for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year described in subparagraph (A). In this subsection, the term Consumer Price Index means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (all items, United States city average), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor. California:
Northern15
Eastern7
Central28
Southern13; Delaware5; Florida:
Northern4
Middle16
Southern17; Indiana: Northern5 Southern6; Iowa:
Northern3
Southern3; New Jersey18; New York:
Northern5
Southern29
Eastern15
Western4; and Texas: Northern12 Southern20 Eastern8 Western13. Arizona13; California:
Northern16
Eastern8
Central30
Southern13; Florida: Northern4 Middle17 Southern18; Georgia:
Northern12
Middle4
Southern3; Idaho3; and Texas:
Northern13
Southern21
Eastern8
Western13. California: Northern17 Eastern9 Central31 Southern13; Colorado8; Delaware6; Nebraska4; New York: Northern5 Southern29 Eastern16 Western4; Oklahoma:
Northern4
Eastern1
Western6
Northern, Eastern,and Western1; and Texas: Northern13 Southern22 Eastern9 Western14. Arizona14; California:
Northern18
Eastern10
Central32
Southern14; Florida: Northern4 Middle18 Southern19; New Jersey19; New York: Northern5 Southern29 Eastern16 Western5; and Texas:
Northern13
Southern22
Eastern9
Western16. California:
Northern19
Eastern10
Central34
Southern14; Colorado9; Florida:
Northern5
Middle19
Southern19; Georgia: Northern13 Middle4 Southern3; New York:
Northern5
Southern30
Eastern16
Western5; Oklahoma: Northern4 Eastern2 Western6 Northern, Eastern,and Western1; and Texas:
Northern13
Southern23
Eastern9
Western17. California:
Northern20
Eastern10
Central36
Southern15; Florida: Northern5 Middle20 Southern20; New Jersey20; New York: Northern5 Southern30 Eastern17 Western5; and Texas:
Northern13
Southern23
Eastern9
Western19.
Section 4
4. Organization of Texas district courts Section 124(b)(2) of title 28, United States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (3), by inserting and College Station before the period at the end.
Section 5
5. Organization of California district courts Section 84(d) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting and El Centro after at San Diego.
Section 6
6. GAO reports Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and make publicly available reports— evaluating— the accuracy and objectiveness of case-related workload measures and methodologies used by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts for district courts of the United States and courts of appeals of the United States; the impact of non-case-related activities of judges of the district courts of the United States and courts of appeals of the United States on judicial caseloads; and the effectiveness and efficiency of the policies of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts regarding senior judges; and providing any recommendations of the Comptroller General with respect to the matters described in paragraph (1). The Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on an assessment of— a determination of the needs of Federal agencies for detention space; efforts by Federal agencies to acquire detention space; and any challenges in determining and acquiring detention space.
Section 7
7. Public accessibility of the article III judgeship recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States report The Administrative Office of the United States Courts, in consultation with the Judicial Conference of the United States, shall make publicly available on their website, free of charge, the biennial report entitled Article III Judgeship Recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States. The report described in subsection (a) should be released not less frequently than biennially and contain the summaries and all related appendixes supporting the judgeship recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States, including— the process used by the Judicial Conference in developing the recommendations; any caseload and methodology changes; judgeship surveys with recommendations; and specific information about each court for which the Judicial Conference recommends additional judgeships. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives copies of the report described in subsection (a).