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March 20, 2023
Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024
Overview
Table 1. FY2023 Discretionary Appropriations and
The FY2024 judiciary budget request seeks $9.14 billion in
FY2024 Discretionary Appropriations Request
discretionary appropriations (an increase of 8.0% over the
(in millions of dol ars)
FY2023 enacted level), and $796.1 million in mandatory
appropriations used, in part, to pay the salaries and benefits
FY2023
FY2024
of certain types of judges and provide funds for judicial
Account
Enacted Request
retirement accounts.
Supreme Court (total)
$138.80 $147.75
The judiciary also uses non-appropriated funds to offset its
Salaries and Expenses
$109.55
$127.06
appropriations requirement. The majority of these non-
appropriated funds are derived from the collection of fees,
Buildings and Grounds
$29.25
$20.69
primarily court filing fees. The judiciary’s annual
appropriations request reflects the net needs of the judiciary
Court of Appeals for the Federal
$36.74
$39.68
after the use of non-appropriated funds.
Circuit
Court of International Trade
$21.26
$22.40
As a coequal branch of government, the judiciary transmits
its budget request to the President, who includes it, without
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
change, in his annual budget request to Congress.
$8,106.12 $8,757.65
and Other Judicial Services (total)
Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in
the Financial Services and General Government
Salaries and Expenses
$5,905.06 $6,370.39
Appropriations bill.
Defender Services
$1,382.68 $1,533,02
Table 1 presents the FY2023 discretionary enacted level
and the FY2024 discretionary request for each account. The
Court Security
$750.16
$783.47
enacted levels are based on amounts included in regular
FY2023 appropriations, and do not include any
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$58.24
$59.90
supplemental appropriations.
Individual Accounts
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
$9.98
$10.87
Administrative Office of the U.S.
Supreme Court
$102.67 $112.97
Courts
The total FY2024 discretionary request for the Supreme
Court, $147.8 million, is contained in two accounts: (1)
Federal Judicial Center
$34.26
$35.08
Salaries and Expenses ($127.1 million) and (2) Care of the
Building and Grounds ($20.7 million). The total represents
Sentencing Commission
$21.64
$23.15
a 6.4% increase over the FY2023 enacted level.
TOTAL
$8,461.49 $9,138.68
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Sources: H.R. 2617, FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L.
This court, consisting of 12 judges, exercises jurisdiction
117-328); Fiscal Year 2024 Congressional Budget Summary (prepared by
over certain lower court rulings on patents and trademarks,
the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, March 2023).
international trade, and federal claims cases. The FY2024
discretionary budget request is $39.7 million, an increase of
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
8.0% over the FY2023 enacted level.
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
U.S. Court of International Trade
Judicial Services
This court has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil
The total FY2024 discretionary funding request of $8.76
actions against the United States, its agencies, and its
billion covers 12 of the regional courts of appeals and 94
officers, and certain civil actions brought by the United
district courts located in the 50 states, District of Columbia,
States arising out of import transactions and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the
administration and enforcement of federal customs and
Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam and
international trade laws. The FY2024 discretionary request
the U.S. Virgin Islands. The account is divided among
of $22.4 million is an increase of 5.4% over the FY2023
salaries and expenses, defender services, court security, the
enacted level.
fees of jurors and commissioners, and the Vaccine Injury
Compensation Trust Fund.
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link to page 2 Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024
Salaries and Expenses
training. The center’s FY2024 request is $35.1 million, an
increase of 2.4% over the FY2023 enacted level.
The FY2024 discretionary request for this account is $6.37
billion, an increase of 7.9% over the FY2023 enacted level.
United States Sentencing Commission
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices,
Defender Services
and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The
FY2024 request is $23.2 million, an increase of 7.0% over
This account funds the operations of the federal public
the FY2023 enacted level.
defender and community defender organizations, and
compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private
Mandatory Funding
practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve
Mandatory funding in the judiciary budget includes
as defense counsel to indigent individuals. The cost for this
constitutionally required funding for the salaries and
account is determined by the number and type of
benefits of Article III judges, as well as statutory direct
prosecutions brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2024
spending for the salaries and benefits of certain Article I
request is $1.53 billion, an increase of 10.9% over the
judges. Mandatory appropriations also provide funding for
FY2023 enacted level.
judicial retirement accounts. Table 2 presents the FY2023
enactment for each account and the FY2024 request.
Court Security
Table 2. FY2023 Mandatory Appropriations and
This account provides for protective services, security
FY2024 Mandatory Budget Request
systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and other
(in millions of dol ars)
federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial officers,
employees, and visitors. Under this account, the majority of
FY2023
FY2024
funding for court security is transferred to the U.S.
Account
Enacted Request
Marshals Service to pay for court security officers under the
Supreme Court
$2.90
$3.07
Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2024 request is
$783.5 million, an increase of 4.4% over the FY2023
Court of Appeals for the Federal
enacted level.
$3.36
$3.53
Circuit
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
Court of International Trade
$2.16
$2.38
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
$501.15
$535.26
grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land
and Other Judicial Services
commissioners. The FY2024 request is $59.9 million, an
Judicial Retirement Funds
$251.80
$251.90
increase of 2.9% over the FY2023 enacted level.
TOTAL
$761.37 $796.14
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
Source: Fiscal Year 2024 Congressional Budget Summary (prepared by
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program funds
the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, March 2023). FY2023
a federal no-fault program that protects the availability of
mandatory levels represent FY2023 assumed financial plan levels.
vaccines in the nation by diverting a substantial number of
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
claims from the tort arena. The FY2024 request is $10.9
million, an 8.9% increase over the FY2023 enacted level.
FY2024 Funding Priorities
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO)
According to the federal judiciary, its FY2024 budget
request reflects the need to maintain current services and
As the central support entity for the judiciary, the AO
modernize or replace existing and outdated judicial
provides a wide range of administrative, management,
facilities and infrastructure. Several of its funding priorities
program, and information technology services to the U.S.
for FY2024 include supporting the anticipated high number
courts. The AO also provides support to the Judicial
of nominees confirmed to Article III judgeships, as well as
Conference of the United States, and implements
providing resources to address expected increases in
conference policies and applicable federal statutes and
judicial workload and caseloads. The judiciary also seeks to
regulations. The FY2024 request for AO is $113.0 million,
continue prioritizing its national IT initiatives, including
an increase of 10.0% over the FY2023 enacted level.
critical improvements in cybersecurity and IT
Federal Judicial Center
modernization.
As the judiciary’s research and education entity, the Federal
Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of
Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National
judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees
Government
and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court
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staff, and others with orientation, continuing education, and
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024
Disclaimer
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