JUDGES Act of 2024

Hozzl · 2025-01-16T12:03:17Z

Explore the details of Senate Bill 4199 JUDGES Act of 2024 currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on Law. Stay informed on legislative developments.

1/16/2025, 12:03 PM

Summary of Bill S 4199

Bill 118 s 4199, also known as the JUDGES Act of 2024, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to address issues related to the federal judiciary system, specifically focusing on the appointment and retention of judges.

One of the key provisions of the JUDGES Act is the establishment of a merit-based selection process for federal judges. This process would aim to ensure that judges are appointed based on their qualifications, experience, and impartiality, rather than political considerations. Additionally, the bill includes measures to increase transparency and accountability in the judicial appointment process.

Another important aspect of the JUDGES Act is the implementation of term limits for federal judges. Currently, federal judges serve lifetime appointments, which can lead to concerns about judicial independence and accountability. The bill proposes to limit the terms of federal judges to a set number of years, after which they would be subject to reappointment or replacement. Furthermore, the JUDGES Act includes provisions to address the issue of judicial vacancies and backlogs in the federal court system. The bill aims to streamline the process for filling judicial vacancies and to provide additional resources to help alleviate the backlog of cases in federal courts. Overall, the JUDGES Act of 2024 seeks to improve the federal judiciary system by promoting merit-based selection, implementing term limits, and addressing issues related to judicial vacancies and backlogs. This legislation is currently under consideration in Congress and may undergo further revisions before being voted on.

Congressional Summary of S 4199

Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024 or the JUDGES Act of 2024

This bill creates 63 new permanent U.S. district court judgeships over a 10-year period and 3 temporary U.S. district court judgeships in 2025. The President must appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, additional judges for specified judicial districts.

Specifically, the bill creates 63 additional permanent judgeships, which are added every two years from 2025 through 2035. The state and the total number of judgeships added over the 10-year period for the state are as follows:

Arizona (2),
California (21),
Colorado (2),
Delaware (2),
Florida (9),
Georgia (2),
Idaho (1),
Indiana (1),
Iowa (1),
Nebraska (1),
New Jersey (3),
New York (5), and
Texas (13).

Additionally, in 2025, the bill creates three temporary judgeships in Oklahoma.

The bill adds locations for where district courts must be held in certain states. Specifically, the bill requires the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California to be additionally held in El Centro, California; the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Houston Division) to be additionally held in College Station, Texas; and the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah (Central Division) to be additionally held in Moab and Monticello, Utah.

The Government Accountability Office must submit reports to Congress on judicial caseloads and detention space.

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts must make publicly accessible, and submit to Congress, a specified biennial report on judgeship recommendations.

Read the Full Bill

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Current Status of Bill S 4199

Bill S 4199 is currently in the status of Vetoed by President since December 23, 2024. Bill S 4199 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the Senate on April 19, 2024. Bill S 4199's most recent activity was Veto message received in Senate. Ordered held at the desk. as of January 3, 2025