To clarify where court may be held for certain district courts in Texas and California.
Summary
What This Bill Does
Amends the federal judicial code to add two authorized court locations. Section 2 adds College Station to the Southern District of Texas locations listed in 28 U.S.C. 124(b)(2). Section 3 adds El Centro to the Southern District of California locations listed in 28 U.S.C. 84(d). The bill does not create new judgeships or a new court; it lets existing federal district court sit in those cities.
Who Benefits and How
Residents, litigants, local attorneys, court reporters, process servers, small businesses, Texas A&M University community members with federal legal matters, Imperial County residents, Imperial Valley immigrant communities, and immigration attorneys benefit from shorter travel distances and easier access to federal court proceedings. College Station and El Centro may also gain limited local legal-services and hospitality activity when court is held there.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, federal judiciary staff, district court clerks, U.S. Marshals Service courthouse-security staff, and possibly GSA facility managers must handle scheduling, space, security, courtroom logistics, and records for the new authorized locations. The burden is administrative and facilities-related, not a new substantive cause of action.
Key Provisions
- Amends 28 U.S.C. 124(b)(2) to add College Station as a Southern District of Texas court location.
- Amends 28 U.S.C. 84(d) to add El Centro as a Southern District of California court location.
- Provides local court-access authority without creating new judgeships.
- Expands geographic access for litigants in Brazos County and Imperial County.
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
Adds College Station, Texas and El Centro, California as authorized places where the Southern District of Texas and Southern District of California may hold federal district court.
Key Policy Areas
Federal Courts, Access to Justice
Primary Purpose
Adds College Station, Texas and El Centro, California as authorized places where the Southern District of Texas and Southern District of California may hold federal district court.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- College Station residents and litigants
- El Centro residents and litigants
- Brazos County attorneys
- Imperial County attorneys
- Court support services
- Texas A&M University students and staff
- Imperial Valley immigrant communities
Identified Costs
- Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
- Federal district court clerks
- U.S. Marshals Service courthouse-security staff
- General Services Administration facility managers
Sponsors
Ted Cruz
R-TX | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateMr. Cruz (for himself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following …
Passed Senate (inferred from es version)
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
College Station residents and litigants, El Centro residents and litigants, Imperial Valley immigrant communities
Brazos County attorneys, Imperial County attorneys
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "aousc"
- → Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
- "court"
- → United States district courts
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