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June 3, 2021
Judiciary Budget Request, FY2022
Overview
administration and enforcement of federal customs and
international trade laws. The FY2022 discretionary request
The FY2022 judiciary budget request includes $8.12 billion
of $20.7 million is an increase of 3.4% over the FY2021
in discretionary funds (an increase of 5.2% over the
enacted level.
FY2021 enacted level), and $756.5 million in mandatory
appropriations used, in part, to pay the salaries and benefits
Table 1. FY2021 Discretionary Appropriations and
of certain types of judges and provide funds for judicial
FY2022 Discretionary Appropriations Request
retirement accounts.
(in millions of dollars)
The judiciary also uses nonappropriated funds to offset its
FY2021 FY2022
appropriations requirement. The majority of these
Account
Enacted Request
nonappropriated funds are from the collection of fees,
Supreme Court (total)
$105.3
$107.8
primarily court filing fees. The appropriation request
reflects the net needs of the judiciary after use of such
Salaries and Expenses
$94.7
$97.5
funds.
Buildings and Grounds
$10.6
$10.3
As a coequal branch of government, the judiciary presents
Court of Appeals for the Federal
its budget to the President, who transmits it to Congress
$33.5
$34.3
Circuit
unaltered, as part of his annual budget request.
Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in
Court of International Trade
$20.0
$20.7
the Financial Services and General Government
Appropriations Act. Appropriations for the judiciary
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
typically comprise approximately 0.2% of total federal
$7,416.3 $7,807.0
and Other Judicial Services (total)
budget authority.
Salaries and Expenses
$5,393.7 $5,651.4
Table 1 presents the FY2021 discretionary enacted level
and the FY2022 discretionary request for each account. The
Defender Services
$1,316.2 $1,409.6
enacted levels are based on amounts included in regular
FY2021 appropriations, and do not include any
Court Security
$664.0
$682.1
supplemental appropriations subsequently provided.
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$32.5
$53.7
Individual Accounts
Vaccine Injury Trust Fund
$9.9
$10.2
Supreme Court
Administrative Office of the U.S.
$95.7
$100.3
The total FY2022 discretionary request for the Supreme
Courts
Court, $107.8 million, is contained in two accounts: (1)
Salaries and Expenses ($97.5 million) and (2) Care of the
Federal Judicial Center
$29.0
$31.9
Building and Grounds ($10.3 million). The total represents
a 2.4% increase over the FY2021 enacted level.
Sentencing Commission
$20.0
$20.6
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
TOTAL
$7,719.8 $8,112.6
Source: FY2022 Judicial Branch Budget Justification.
This court, consisting of 12 judges, has jurisdiction over
Note: Enacted amounts reported for FY2021 do not include
and review of certain lower court rulings on patents and
supplemental appropriations provided to the federal judiciary under
trademarks, international trade, and federal claims cases.
the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136, March 27, 2020). Columns may not
The FY2022 discretionary budget request is $34.3 million,
sum due to rounding.
a 2.3% increase over the FY2021 enacted level.
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial
U.S. Court of International Trade
Services
This court has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil
The total FY2022 discretionary funding request of $7.81
actions against the United States, its agencies, and its
billion covers 12 of the 13 courts of appeals and 94 district
officers, and certain civil actions brought by the United
courts located in the 50 states, District of Columbia,
States arising out of import transactions and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the
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link to page 2 Judiciary Budget Request, FY2022
Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam and
Federal Judicial Center
the U.S. Virgin Islands. The account is divided among
salaries and expenses, defender services, court security, the
As the judiciary’s research and education entity, the Federal
fees of jurors and commissioners, and the Vaccine Injury
Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of
Compensation Trust Fund.
judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees
and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court
Salaries and Expenses
staff, and others with orientation, continuing education, and
training. The center’s FY2022 request is $31.9 million, an
The FY2022 discretionary request for this account is $5.65
increase of 9.8% over the FY2021 enacted level.
billion, an increase of 4.8% over the FY2021 enacted level.
United States Sentencing Commission
Defender Services
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices,
This account funds the operations of the federal public
and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The
defender and community defender organizations, and
FY2022 request is $20.6 million, an increase of 3.3% over
compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private
the FY2021 enacted level.
practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve
as defense counsel to indigent individuals. The cost for this
Mandatory Funding
account is determined by the number and type of
prosecutions brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2022
Mandatory funding in the judiciary budget includes
request is $1.41 billion, an increase of 7.1% over the
constitutionally required funding for the salaries and
FY2021 enacted level.
benefits of Article III judges, as well as statutory direct
spending for the salaries and benefits of certain Article I
Court Security
judges. Mandatory appropriations also provide funding for
judicial retirement accounts. Table 2 presents the FY2021
This account provides for protective services, security
enactment for each account and the FY2022 request.
systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and other
federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial officers,
Table 2. FY2021 Mandatory Appropriations and
employees, and visitors. Under this account, the majority of
FY2022 Mandatory Budget Request
funding for court security is transferred to the U.S.
(in millions of dollars)
Marshals Service to pay for court security officers under the
Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2022 request is
FY2021
FY2022
$682.1 million, an increase of 2.7% over the FY2021
Account
Enacted
Request
enacted level.
Supreme Court
$2.7
$2.8
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
Court of Appeals for the Federal
$3.2
$3.2
Circuit
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to
grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land
Court of International Trade
$2.1
$2.2
commissioners. The FY2022 request is $53.4 million, an
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
increase of 65.1% over the FY2021 enacted level (the
$463.3
$475.8
FY2022 request is similar to the FY2020 enacted level of
and Other Judicial Services
$53.5 million).
Judicial Retirement Funds
$262.3
$272.6
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
TOTAL
$733.6
$756.5
The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program funds a federal
Source: FY2022 Judicial Branch Budget Justification. Enacted column
no-fault program that protects the availability of vaccines in
reflects FY2021 assumed financial plan levels.
the nation by diverting a substantial number of claims from
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
the tort arena. The FY2022 request is $10.2 million, a 2.7%
increase over the FY2021 enacted level.
CRS Report on FY2021 Judiciary
Appropriations
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO)
For an overview of the judiciary’s FY2021 budget request,
As the central support entity for the judiciary, the AO
as well as information about congressional consideration of
provides a wide range of administrative, management,
the request and congressional enactment of judiciary
program, and information technology services to the U.S.
appropriations for FY2021, see CRS Report R46747,
courts. The AO also provides support to the Judicial
Judiciary Appropriations, FY2021, by Barry J. McMillion.
Conference of the United States, and implements
conference policies and applicable federal statutes and
Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National
regulations. The FY2022 request for AO is $100.3 million,
Government
an increase of 4.9% over the FY2021 enacted level.
IF11842
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2022
Disclaimer
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