This bill reorganizes three federal appeals courts to redistribute judges and geographic areas among the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits. The most significant change moves several western states: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming would shift from the Ninth Circuit to the Eighth Circuit, while Arizona and Nevada would move from the Tenth Circuit to the Ninth Circuit. The reorganization aims to address population imbalances, as the current Ninth Circuit serves over 67 million people across more than 40 percent of U.S. land, while the Eleventh Circuit serves only 37 million. The bill increases judgeships in the Ninth Circuit from 13 to 21 and the Tenth Circuit from 12 to 16, and requires the General Services Administration to submit a plan within one year for building new court facilities in Rapid City, South Dakota. The legislation includes open-ended authorization for whatever appropriations are necessary to implement these changes, though no specific dollar amount is specified.
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