JUDGES Act of 2024

The original two-batch structure (2025 and 2029) was replaced with six biennial tranches spanning 2025 through 2035. The 2025 batch was reduced from 30 judgeships to 11, and new batches were added for 2027, 2031, 2033, and 2035.

Total additional district judgeships increased from 61 to 63 across all tranches, but the distribution among districts was substantially rebalanced. For example, central California went from receiving 5 judges in 2025 and 4 in 2029 (total 9) to receiving a total of 10 spread across six years.

New section 4 adds Moab and Monticello as division locations in the Utah district court; new section 5 adds College Station to the Texas district court organization; new section 6 adds El Centro to the California district court organization.

The original unlimited authorization ('such sums as may be necessary') was replaced with specific capped appropriations: $12.97 million per year for FY2025-2026, rising to $61.12 million per year for FY2035 and beyond, with annual CPI adjustments.

The original single GAO report on vacant and underutilized courthouses (due within 1 year) was replaced with two broader reports due within 2 years: one evaluating workload measurement accuracy, non-case activities' impact on caseloads, and senior judge policies; and a second assessing federal detention space needs and acquisition challenges.

New section 8 requires the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to make the Judicial Conference's biennial Article III Judgeship Recommendations report publicly available on their website free of charge, including methodology details, caseload data, and court-specific information, with copies submitted to both Judiciary Committees.

Technical and conforming amendments to the judgeship tables in 28 U.S.C. section 133(a) were moved from a single consolidated section into each individual year's paragraph, making each tranche self-contained with its own table updates and effective date.