This act reorganizes the federal appeals courts in the West. It splits the current Ninth Circuit into two: the Ninth (California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands) and a new Twelfth (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington).
- Who is affected: People and businesses with federal appeals in the listed states and territories, plus the judges and staff who work in these courts.
- What changes: The number of federal appeals circuits increases from 13 to 14, and more judges are added. Current judges are reassigned based on where they work now, and senior judges can choose which of the two circuits to join. The courts can “borrow” judges from each other when workloads spike, and nearby circuits can share some administrative tasks. Cases already filed keep moving without starting over, with some transferred to the correct new court. Money is authorized to carry out these changes, including funds for added court space .
- When: Most changes start after at least five of the new judges are confirmed, then a 9-month setup period, and then on the first day of the next fiscal year. The judge-adding section starts right away, and the old Ninth Circuit’s administrative structure winds down over two years.
