Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025
Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025 - Summary **What the bill does:** The Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency (CASE) Act would require the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency that manages government buildings, to implement a courtroom-sharing policy across the country. Instead of building separate courtrooms for each judge, the bill requires judges to share facilities—for example, bankruptcy judges would share one courtroom between every two judges, and senior district judges would follow the same ratio. The bill also prohibits the GSA from constructing any new courthouse unless it complies with these space-sharing requirements. **Who it affects:** This primarily affects the federal court system, including federal judges (district judges, bankruptcy judges, senior judges, and magistrate judges) and the courts' operations. Indirectly, it could affect people who use federal courthouses, including attorneys, litigants, and court staff.
The bill also impacts the GSA's budget and construction plans for government facilities. **Key provisions and status:** The bill sets specific ratios for courtroom sharing based on judge type and courthouse size—for instance, courthouses with 10 or more active district judges must provide two courtrooms per three judges. The stated goal is to reduce construction costs and make courthouse operations more efficient. The House has already passed this bill, and it is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency (CASE) Act of 2025This bill provides statutory authority for the General Services Administration (GSA) courtroom sharing policy and limits construction of new courthouses. Under the bill, GSA must ensure courtroom sharing by magistrate, bankruptcy, and senior district judges. Specificallyin courthouses with 10 or more active district judges, GSA must provide two courtrooms per 3 active district judges (except such courthouses may contain not less than 9 courtrooms for active district judges);in courthouses with 3 or more bankruptcy judges, GSA must provide one courtroom per 2 bankruptcy judges;in courthouses with 3 or more senior district judges, GSA must provide one courtroom per 2 senior district judges; andin courthouses with 3 or more magistrate judges, GSA must provide one courtroom per 2 magistrate judges.GSA is prohibited from constructing a new courthouse that does not comply with the courtroom sharing requirements. Additionally, if a new courthouse will add capacity in the GSA inventory, existing space in the same courthouse complex must be fully utilized or relinquished from such inventory.GSA must update the U.S. Courts Design Guide to reflect these requirements within 180 days after the bill's enactment. (The Design Guide sets forth the federal judiciary’s requirements for the design, construction, and renovation of court facilities and is intended for use by individuals involved in federal court construction projects.)
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.