Bill > HR634

This bill proposes to divide the existing Ninth Judicial Circuit, which currently covers a large geographic area including California, Alaska, Arizona, and other western states, into two separate circuits: a new Ninth Circuit (covering California, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands) and a newly created Twelfth Circuit (covering Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington). The bill provides for the appointment of five additional federal circuit judges: two for the former Ninth Circuit with duty stations in Arizona, California, or Nevada, and three for the new Ninth Circuit (to be appointed after January 21, 2025). Additionally, the legislation includes two temporary judgeships for the former Ninth Circuit, with a provision that the first two vacancies in the new Ninth Circuit after 10 years will not be filled. The bill also establishes specific administrative provisions for transferring existing judges between the new circuits, allows for temporary judicial assignments between the circuits, and permits administrative coordination between the two circuits. The new judicial configuration will take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year after five of the newly authorized judges have been confirmed by the Senate, with a maximum implementation timeline of 9 months after that confirmation. The bill aims to address the large caseload and geographic complexity of the current Ninth Circuit by creating a more manageable judicial structure.

Justice

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/634/all-info