JUDGES Act of 2025
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Would create 64 new federal district court judgeships — 63 permanent and 1 temporary — across 14 states over a decade, the first comprehensive federal judgeship legislation since 1990. The seats would be phased in every two years starting in 2025, with each new tranche available at the start of a new presidential term.
Backlogs in the federal courts have grown sharply since the last major judgeship expansion; the bill responds to a 2023 Judicial Conference request for 66 new district judgeships and would authorize steadily rising appropriations to cover the new positions.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would authorize 63 new permanent federal district court judgeships across 14 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas — phased in across six two-year tranches beginning upon enactment and running through January 21, 2035. Each tranche takes effect at the start of a presidential term so a sitting president can fill the seats. It would also create one temporary judgeship in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, which would not be refilled once it becomes vacant five or more years after confirmation. The bill would amend 28 U.S.C. § 133(a) to update the authorized judge counts for each affected district.
Beyond judgeships, the bill would add College Station, Texas, and El Centro, California, as required court-holding locations in their respective districts. It would direct the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on the accuracy of judicial workload measures and on federal detention space needs. It would also require the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to post the Judicial Conference's biennial judgeship-recommendations report — including all appendixes and caseload data — publicly on its website and submit copies to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
Key provisions
- 1Would authorize 63 new permanent district court judgeships across 14 states, phased in every two years from 2025 through 2035, with each tranche taking effect at the start of a presidential term.
- 2Would create one temporary judgeship in the Eastern District of Oklahoma; the first vacancy occurring five or more years after confirmation would not be filled.
- 3Would authorize appropriations starting at $12,965,330 per year for FY2025–2026 and rising to $61,122,270 per year from FY2035 onward, adjusted annually for inflation.
- 4Would add College Station to the required court-holding locations in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas.
- 5Would add El Centro to the required court-holding locations in the Southern District of California.
- 6Would direct the GAO to report to Congress on the accuracy of federal court workload measures and on federal detention space needs within two years of enactment.
- 7Would require the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts to post the Judicial Conference's biennial judgeship-recommendations report publicly online and submit copies to both Judiciary Committees.
Who would be affected
Federal litigants and attorneys in overloaded districts across California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and nine other states who face long waits for case resolution. The President and Senate would have expanded confirmation responsibilities. Federal courts in the 14 affected states would receive new judicial capacity. The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts and the Government Accountability Office would receive new reporting and publication duties.
Why it matters
If enacted, tens of thousands of litigants with cases pending in understaffed federal courts could see faster resolution; the bill's findings note roughly 687,000 cases were pending as of early 2023. Because each new tranche vests at the start of a presidential term, the party holding the White House when each phase kicks in would fill those seats with life-tenured judges — making the phasing schedule politically significant beyond its administrative rationale.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends 28 U.S.C. § 133(a) (Sec. 3(a))
Updates the authorized district judge count table in six phased increments, adding up to 63 new permanent judgeships across 14 states through 2035.
Amends 28 U.S.C. § 124(b)(2) (Sec. 4)
Adds College Station as a required court-holding location in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas.
Amends 28 U.S.C. § 84(d) (Sec. 5)
Adds El Centro as a required court-holding location in the Southern District of California.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- First tranche of judgeships (11 seats) and the temporary Eastern District of Oklahoma judgeship
- Second tranche of judgeships (10 seats) across Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, and Texas
- Third tranche of judgeships (11 seats) across California, Colorado, Delaware, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas
- Fourth tranche of judgeships (11 seats) across Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas
- Fifth tranche of judgeships (10 seats) across California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas
- Sixth tranche of judgeships (10 seats) across California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas
- GAO report on judicial caseloads due to Congress
Funding and costs
- $12,965,330
Funding new district court judgeships in first phase
- $23,152,375
Funding new district court judgeships through second phase
- $32,413,325
Funding new district court judgeships through third phase
- $42,600,370
Funding new district court judgeships through fourth phase
- $51,861,320
Funding new district court judgeships through fifth phase
- $61,122,270
Funding all new district court judgeships at full complement, adjusted for inflation annually
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the JUDGES Act would increase the federal deficit by $111 million in direct spending over the 2025–2035 period, with an additional $283 million in discretionary costs subject to future appropriations.
CBO estimates that H.R. 1702, the JUDGES Act, would increase direct spending (mandatory outlays, primarily judge compensation) by $111 million over the 2025–2035 period, with no effect on revenues, resulting in an equal increase in the deficit over that window. The bill would also authorize appropriations for court administrative and operating expenses totaling an estimated $283 million in outlays over the same period — spending that would require Congress to separately appropriate the funds. The main cost drivers are salaries and benefits for up to 65 new permanent federal district court judges phased in every two years from 2025 through 2035, plus staffing and overhead for the new courts. CBO found the bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
How implementation would work
New judgeships in each tranche would take effect on a fixed date; the President would then nominate and the Senate confirm judges to fill them. Appropriations are authorized in escalating biennial amounts, adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, rising from roughly $13 million per year in FY2025–2026 to $61 million per year from FY2035 onward. The GAO would have two years from enactment to deliver its judicial caseload report; the detention-space report has no fixed deadline. The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts would be required to post the Judicial Conference's biennial judgeship-recommendation report online and transmit it to both Judiciary Committees.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 11.
Official CRS summary
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This bill creates 64 U.S. district court judgeships—63 permanent and 1 temporary—and expands the jurisdictional coverage of two district courts.
Specifically, the bill creates 63 new permanent judgeships across 14 states over a 10-year period beginning in 2025. The state and total number of judgeships added over the 10-year period are as follows:
- Arizona (1),
- California (20),
- Colorado (2),
- Delaware (2),
- Florida (9),
- Georgia (2),
- Idaho (1),
- Indiana (1),
- Iowa (1),
- Nebraska (1),
- New Jersey (3),
- New York (5),
- Oklahoma (2), and
- Texas (13).
Additionally, the bill creates one temporary judgeship in the Eastern District of Oklahoma in 2025.
Finally, the bill adds locations where court must be held in two district courts—one in California and one in Texas. Specifically, the bill adds College Station to the list of places where court must be held in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas. Also, the bill adds El Centro to the list of places where court must be held in the Southern District of California.
The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to submit reports to Congress on judicial caseloads and detention space.
The bill also directs the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to make available on its website the biennial report by the Judicial Conference of the United States on judgeship recommendations.
Legislative subjects
Arizona; California; Colorado; Congressional oversight; Delaware; Federal district courts; Florida; Georgia; Government information and archives; Government studies and investigations; Idaho; Indiana; Iowa; Judges; Law; Nebraska; New Jersey; New York State; Oklahoma; Texas; Utah