H.R. 634: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2025

This bill proposes several changes to the United States federal judiciary, particularly regarding the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Here are the main points included in the legislation:

Creation of New Judicial Circuits

The bill aims to split the current Ninth Circuit into two separate circuits:

• New Ninth Circuit: Comprised of California, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Twelfth Circuit: Comprised of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Additional Judgeships

The legislation calls for the appointment of additional circuit judges:

• 2 additional judges for the former Ninth Circuit.
• 3 judges for the new Ninth Circuit.

These judges will be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Judgeship Transfers and Assignments

Judges from the existing Ninth Circuit will be reassigned based on their current official duty stations:

• Judges currently in California, Guam, Hawaii, or the Northern Mariana Islands will move to the new Ninth Circuit.
• Judges in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington will be assigned to the Twelfth Circuit.

Senior judges may choose which circuit they wish to join.

Temporary Judgeships

The bill creates provisions for temporary judgeships. Specifically:

• After a period of ten years, if certain vacancies occur in the new Ninth Circuit, those vacancies will not be filled.
• Temporary assignments of circuit and district judges may occur between the two newly established circuits to address caseloads as needed.

Judicial Operations and Case Management

The bill includes measures regarding pending cases:

• Cases already submitted for decision before the split will continue to be processed as if the bill had not been enacted.
• Cases that have not been submitted for decision will be transferred to the appropriate new circuit based on the nature of the case.

Administrative Additions

In terms of administrative processes, the bill allows for the joint administration of functions by the two circuits, along with raises in funds for additional court facilities.

Implementation and Funding

The changes proposed in the bill will take effect after certain conditions are met, specifically depending on the confirmation of new judges by the Senate. There are also provisions to authorize necessary appropriations to support the changes.

Relevant Companies

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