Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025
Officially: “Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025” Read the full text
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1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency (CASE) Act of 2025.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency (CASE) Act of 2025 .
2Reducing costs related to courthouses
This section would add a new section 3320 to chapter 33 of title 40 of the United States Code and would add a matching entry for it in that chapter's table of contents. Under the new section, the Administrator of General Services could not start construction of a new courthouse if both of two things are true: construction on that courthouse has not already begun by the date this section becomes law, and the courthouse's design and construction do not meet at least the courtroom sharing requirements set out below. Those courtroom sharing requirements would be: in a courthouse with 10 or more active district judges, 2 courtrooms for every 3 active district judges, except that such a courthouse could still have as few as 9 courtrooms for active district judges; in a courthouse with 3 or more bankruptcy judges, 1 courtroom for every 2 bankruptcy judges; in a courthouse with 3 or more senior district judges, 1 courtroom for every 2 senior district judges; and in a courthouse with 3 or more magistrate judges, 1 courtroom for every 2 magistrate judges. Within 180 days after this section becomes law, the United States Courts Design Guide for courthouses would have to be updated to build in these courtroom sharing requirements to the maximum extent practicable. Also, if a new courthouse would add capacity to the General Services Administration's inventory of space, then existing space in that same courthouse complex would have to be either fully used or given up from the General Services Administration's inventory.
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2. Reducing costs related to courthouses (a) In general Chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, as amended by this act, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 3320. Reducing costs related to courthouses (a) Limitation on new courthouses The Administrator of General Services may not commence construction of any new courthouse if— (1) construction has not begun on or before the date of enactment of this section; and (2) the design and construction of the new courthouse fails to comply, at a minimum, with the courtroom sharing requirements described in subsection (b). (b) Courtroom sharing requirements defined The term courtroom sharing requirements means— (1) in courthouses with 10 or more active district judges, 2 courtrooms per 3 active district judges, except such courthouses may contain not less than 9 courtrooms for active district judges; (2) in courthouses with 3 or more bankruptcy judges, 1 courtroom per 2 bankruptcy judges; (3) in courthouses with 3 or more senior district judges, 1 courtroom per 2 senior district judges; and (4) in courthouses with 3 or more magistrate judges, 1 courtroom per 2 magistrate judges. (c) United States Courts Design Guide Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Design Guide for courthouses shall be updated to incorporate courtroom sharing requirements to the maximum extent practicable. (d) Utilization If a new courthouse will add capacity in the inventory of the General Services Administration, existing space in the same courthouse complex must be fully utilized or relinquished from the inventory of the General Services Administration. . (b) Clerical amendment The analysis for chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 3320. Reducing costs related to courthouses. .
Where it is
In the House.