Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025
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The bill would bar the General Services Administration from starting construction on new federal courthouses unless they meet new courtroom-sharing requirements for magistrate, bankruptcy, and senior district judges.
It would also require GSA to fully use or give up existing courthouse space before adding new capacity, aiming to curb the cost of building courthouses that sit partly empty.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend title 40 of the U.S. Code to prohibit the General Services Administration from beginning construction on any new federal courthouse that has not already broken ground, unless the design meets specific courtroom-sharing ratios. Courthouses with 10 or more active district judges would need 2 courtrooms per 3 such judges (with a floor of 9); courthouses with 3 or more bankruptcy, senior district, or magistrate judges would need roughly 1 courtroom per 2 judges in each category, plus dedicated emergency and criminal-duty courtrooms. It would also require that if a new courthouse adds capacity to GSA's inventory, existing space in the same complex must be fully used or removed from inventory. GSA would have 180 days after enactment to update the U.S. Courts Design Guide to reflect these requirements. The bill does not affect courthouses where construction has already begun.
Key provisions
- 1Would prohibit GSA from starting construction on any new courthouse not yet begun unless it meets courtroom-sharing requirements
- 2Would require 2 courtrooms per 3 active district judges (minimum 9) in courthouses with 10 or more active district judges
- 3Would require roughly 1 courtroom per 2 judges for bankruptcy, senior district, and magistrate judges once a courthouse has 3 or more of that type, plus dedicated emergency and criminal-duty courtrooms
- 4Would require full utilization or relinquishment of existing courthouse space when new capacity is added to GSA's inventory
- 5Would require GSA to update the U.S. Courts Design Guide within 180 days of enactment to reflect the new courtroom-sharing requirements
Who would be affected
The General Services Administration, which manages federal courthouse construction; the federal judiciary, including active, senior, magistrate, and bankruptcy judges whose courtroom allocations would be governed by the new ratios; and communities awaiting new federal courthouse construction projects.
Why it matters
By tying new courthouse construction to strict courtroom-sharing ratios and requiring full use of existing space, the bill could delay or block new courthouse projects that don't meet the standards, potentially reducing federal construction costs but also affecting court capacity in growing districts.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Creates Title 40, United States Code (Chapter 33) (Sec. 2(a))
Adds a new Section 3320 establishing courtroom-sharing requirements and limits on new federal courthouse construction
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- GSA's deadline to update the U.S. Courts Design Guide for courtroom-sharing requirements
How implementation would work
GSA would apply the courtroom-sharing formulas whenever planning a new courthouse, comparing judge counts to required courtroom counts before construction can begin. Within 180 days of enactment, GSA must revise the U.S. Courts Design Guide, the reference document used by architects and planners on federal court construction projects, to incorporate the new ratios. GSA must also assess existing space in a courthouse complex before adding new capacity, either fully utilizing it or removing it from GSA's inventory.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Official CRS summary
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This bill provides statutory authority for the General Services Administration (GSA) courtroom sharing policy and limits construction of new courthouses.
Under the bill, GSA must ensure courtroom sharing by magistrate, bankruptcy, and senior district judges. Specifically
- in courthouses with 10 or more active district judges, GSA must provide two courtrooms per 3 active district judges (except such courthouses may contain not less than 9 courtrooms for active district judges);
- in courthouses with 3 or more bankruptcy judges, GSA must provide one courtroom per 2 bankruptcy judges;
- in courthouses with 3 or more senior district judges, GSA must provide one courtroom per 2 senior district judges; and
- in courthouses with 3 or more magistrate judges, GSA must provide one courtroom per 2 magistrate judges.
GSA is prohibited from constructing a new courthouse that does not comply with the courtroom sharing requirements. Additionally, if a new courthouse will add capacity in the GSA inventory, existing space in the same courthouse complex must be fully utilized or relinquished from such inventory.
GSA must update the U.S. Courts Design Guide to reflect these requirements within 180 days after the bill's enactment. (The Design Guide sets forth the federal judiciary’s requirements for the design, construction, and renovation of court facilities and is intended for use by individuals involved in federal court construction projects.)
Legislative subjects
Building construction; Federal district courts; Government Operations and Politics; Government buildings, facilities, and property
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-240