Legislation to Add 66 Federal Judgeships Passes Senate, Heads to House
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation to expand the size of the federal judiciary. The goal is to help understaffed district courts get a better handle on rising caseloads, as the number of federal courts has not kept up with the gains in population.
The Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024 (S.4199) would add 66 new judges to federal courts across the country over the next decade.
The judgeships would be added in 25 district courts in 13 states including California, Texas, Indiana, and Delaware. The new positions would be phased in over ten years, to not give one party an advantage. Three of the judgeships in Oklahoma would be temporary.
“Too many Hoosiers and Americans are being denied access to our justice system due to an overload of cases and a shortage of judges. Our bipartisan bill will help alleviate this shortage and ensure all Americans have the opportunity to have their day in court,” said Senator Todd Young (R-IN), one of the sponsors.
“I urge the House to swiftly pass this bill, and once President Biden signs it into law, I’m hopeful we can restore stability to our judicial system and help ensure access to justice for all Americans, no matter where they live,” said Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), another sponsor.
The legislation follows the recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States, a nonpartisan policy-making body for federal courts, which recommended adding the additional judgeships.
Three Decades in the Making
If passed by the House and signed into law, it would be the largest expansion of the federal judiciary since 1990, when the Judicial Improvements Act added 11 circuit and 61 district judgeships.
Since then, just 34 judgeships have been added in individual legislation, with the last addition in 2003.
According to the office of Senator Coons, as of March 31, 2023, there were 686,797 pending cases in federal district courts across the country, averaging 491 filings per judgeship over a 12-month period.
The legislation was also hailed as an example of rare bipartisan cooperation these days.
"This isn't a red state issue or a blue state issue, it's an access to justice issue," said Senator Coons.