The JUDGES Act would create 34 new permanent federal district judge positions starting in 2025 and an additional 30 positions starting in 2029, along with three temporary judgeships. The bill also converts eight existing temporary judgeships to permanent status and extends the terms of temporary judgeships in Alabama and Kansas. California would receive the most new judgeships under the bill, with 14 new positions, while Texas would get 9, and Florida would get 7, among other districts nationwide. This legislation addresses a critical shortage in the federal judiciary, as Congress has not created new permanent district court judgeships since 2003, and pending cases in district courts have increased by 30 percent since the last comprehensive judgeship legislation in 1990. The bill authorizes whatever funding is necessary to provide office space and facilities for these new judicial positions and requires the Government Accountability Office to report within one year on vacant or underutilized federal courthouses.
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