A Democratic bill with 3 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The JUDGES Act of 2025 aims to authorize several new permanent district court judgeships and convert one temporary judgeship. The bill establishes a schedule for appointing additional judges across various districts in California, Florida, Texas, and other states starting in 2029 through 2039. It also creates a temporary judgeship for the eastern district of Oklahoma. To fund these additions, the act authorizes annual appropriations that are adjusted for inflation. Additionally, the bill mandates GAO reports on judicial caseloads and detention space.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Judicial Resources: The bill authorizes the appointment of numerous additional district judges across various states, including California, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, and Texas (Section 3(a)). This is intended to address the fact that filings in district courts increased by 30 percent since the last comprehensive judgeship legislation (Section 2).
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Addressing Case Backlogs: By creating new permanent judgeships, the bill seeks to deal with increased filings and the significant number of pending cases in the district courts (Section 2).
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Temporary Judicial Support: The bill provides for one additional temporary district judge for the eastern district of Oklahoma (Section 3(b)).
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Increased Transparency: The bill requires the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to make the "Article III Judgeship Recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States" report available online free of charge (Section 7(a)). This report includes details on the recommendation process, caseload changes, and specific court information (Section 7(b)).
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Improved Oversight through Reporting: The Comptroller General is tasked with submitting reports to Congress evaluating judicial caseload measures, the impact of non-case-related activities, and the assessment of federal agency needs regarding detention space (Section 6).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limited Longevity of Temporary Positions: Under the temporary judgeship provision for the eastern district of Oklahoma, the first vacancy occurring 5 years or more after the judge's confirmation date shall not be filled (Section 3(b)(2)).
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Significant Financial Commitment: The bill authorizes large annual appropriations for the implementation of these judgeships, starting at $12,965,330 for 2029 and increasing to $61,122,270 for 2039 and thereafter, with further increases allowed via inflation adjustments (Section 3(c)(1)).
- 3/25/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/6/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Jerrold NadlerDemocrat · New York
Jamie RaskinDemocrat · Maryland
Norma TorresDemocrat · California