LACA of 2026
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Local Access to Courts Act of 2026 adds College Station to the places where the relevant Texas federal district court may hold court and adds El Centro alongside San Diego in the California district-court location provision. The bill changes the statutory locations for holding court. It does not create a separate judicial district, appoint additional judges, prescribe a case schedule, or appropriate money for a courthouse. The reported text adds the year 2026 to the short title while retaining the two location amendments from the introduced version.
Who Benefits and How
College Station residents and litigants gain a statutory option for federal court proceedings closer to their community. El Centro residents and litigants similarly benefit from recognized local court access, which can reduce travel time and costs when proceedings are scheduled there. Attorneys, witnesses, and jurors may also benefit from shorter trips, depending on how the courts implement the authorization.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal district court administrators and court clerks must incorporate the additional authorized locations into operational planning. Court security staff and facilities managers may face staffing or facility costs if sessions expand. The bill does not require a specific number of sessions or supply a dedicated construction appropriation, so the actual administrative cost depends on judicial scheduling and existing facilities.
Key Provisions
- Adds College Station as a Texas federal district court location.
- Adds El Centro to the California district-court location provision.
- Amends the statutory court-location lists without creating additional judgeships.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Authorize federal district court sessions in College Station, Texas, and El Centro, California.
Key Policy Areas
Justice, Government Operations
Primary Purpose
Authorize federal district court sessions in College Station, Texas, and El Centro, California.
Policy Domains
LACA of 2026
Identified Gains
- College Station residents
- El Centro residents
- Federal litigants and attorneys
Identified Costs
- Federal district court administrators
- Court clerks
- Court security staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedPlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 685.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-784.
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the …
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: …
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mr. McCaul (for himself and Mr. Ruiz) introduced the following …
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Impact analysis is available but no clear stakeholder effects identified. View clause-level analysis →
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "texas_court"
- → Federal district court governed by 28 U.S.C. 124(b)(2)
- "california_court"
- → Federal district court governed by 28 U.S.C. 84(d)
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