H.R. 1929

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To authorize additional district judges for the district courts and convert temporary judgeships.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · March 6, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Johnson of Georgia · Committee: Committee on the Judiciary

Table of contents

• H.R. 1929
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Findings
  • SEC. 3. Additional district judges for the district courts
  • SEC. 4. Organization of Texas district courts
  • SEC. 5. Organization of California district courts
  • SEC. 6. GAO reports
  • SEC. 7. Public accessibility of the article III judgeship recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States report

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the or the .
• Short title

SEC. 2. Findings

• Congress finds the following:
• Findings
  • 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.

SEC. 3. Additional district judges for the district courts

• Additional district judges for the district courts
• (a) Additional judgeships
  • Additional judgeships
  • (1)
    • (A) In general
      • The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate—
      • In general
        • (i) 1 additional district judge for the central district of California;
        • (ii) 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of California;
        • (iii) 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California;
        • (iv) 1 additional district judge for the district of Delaware;
        • (v) 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida;
        • (vi) 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Indiana;
        • (vii) 1 additional district judge for the northern district of Iowa;
        • (viii) 1 additional district judge for the district of New Jersey;
        • (ix) 1 additional district judge for the southern district of New York;
        • (x) 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of Texas; and
        • (xi) 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Texas.
    • (B) Tables
      • The table contained in section 133(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended—
      • Tables
        • (i) by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following:
        • (ii) by striking the item relating to Delaware and inserting the following:
        • (iii) by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following:
        • (iv) by striking the items relating to Indiana and inserting the following:
        • (v) by striking the items relating to Iowa and inserting the following:
        • (vi) by striking the item relating to New Jersey and inserting the following:
        • (vii) by striking the items relating to New York and inserting the following:
        • (viii) by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following:
    • (C) Effective date
      • This paragraph shall take effect on January 21, 2029.
      • Effective date
  • (2)
    • (A) In general
      • The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate—
      • In general
        • (i) 1 additional district judge for the district of Arizona;
        • (ii) 2 additional district judges for the central district of California;
        • (iii) 1 additional district judge for the eastern district of California;
        • (iv) 1 additional district judge for the northern district of California;
        • (v) 1 additional district judge for the middle district of Florida;
        • (vi) 1 additional district judge for the southern district of Florida;

SEC. 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 before the period at the end.
• Organization of Texas district courts

SEC. 5. Organization of California district courts

• Section 84(d) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting after .
• Organization of California district courts

SEC. 6. GAO reports

• GAO reports
• (a) Judicial caseloads
  • 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—
  • Judicial caseloads
    • 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).
• (b) Detention space
  • 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—
  • Detention space
    • 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.

SEC. 7. Public accessibility of the article III judgeship recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States report

• Public accessibility of the article III judgeship recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States report
• (a) In general
  • 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
  • In general
• (b) Contents
  • 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—
  • Contents
    • 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.
• (c) Submission to Congress
  • 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).
  • Submission to Congress