Judiciary Budget Request, FY2015
Updated April 22, 2014
Judiciary Budget Request, FY2015
Overview
Table 1. FY2015 Request and FY2014 Appropriations
The FY2015 judiciary budget request totals $7.30 billion,
(in millions of dollars)
an increase of 3.7% over the FY2014 appropriations. This
FY2015
FY2014
total includes $6.74 billion in discretionary funds, and
Account
Request Enacted
$565.6 million in mandatory funding, which is used to pay
the salaries and benefits of judges.
Supreme Court
Two accounts fund the Supreme Court, a Salaries and
Buildings and Grounds
$11.6
$11.2
Expenses account and a second account for the care of its
building and grounds, which are the responsibility of the
Salaries and Expenses
$77.5
$75.1
Architect of the Capitol. Together, these total
approximately 1% of the judiciary budget. The rest of the
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
$33.1
$32.3
judiciary’s budget provides funding for the “lower” federal
courts and related judicial services.
Court of International Trade
$19.8
$21.1
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and
The largest account—the Salaries and Expenses account for
Other Judicial Services
the U.S. Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
Judicial Services—is approximately 72% of the total
Salaries and Expenses
$5,242.2
$5,047.5
FY2015 budget request, and covers the “salaries of circuit
and district judges (including judges of the territorial courts
Vaccine Injury Trust Fund
$5.4
$5.3
of the United States), justices and judges retired from office
or from regular active service, judges of the U.S. Court of
Defender Services
$1,053.2
$1,044.4
Federal Claims, bankruptcy judges, magistrate judges, and
all other officers and employees of the federal judiciary not
otherwise specifically provided for,” and “necessary
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$55.8
$53.9
expenses of the courts.” Two other large accounts provide
Court Security
$530.8
$497.5
funds for Defender Services (14.4%) and Court Security
(7.4%).
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
$84.4
$81.2
The remaining judiciary budget is divided among the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (0.5% in FY2015
Federal Judicial Center
$27.0
$26.2
request), U.S. Court of International Trade (0.3%), Fees of
Jurors and Commissioners (0.8%), Administrative Office of
Judicial Retirement Funds
$143.6
$126.9
the U.S. Courts (1.2%), Federal Judicial Center (0.4%),
U.S. Sentencing Commission (0.2%), and Judicial
Sentencing Commission
$16.9
$16.2
Retirement Funds (1.8%).
Total
$7,301.2
$7,038.9
The judiciary also uses non-appropriated funds to offset its
Source: FY2015 Judicial Branch Budget Justification.
appropriations requirement. The majority of these non-
appropriated funds are from the collection of fees, primarily
Individual Accounts
from court filing fees.
Supreme Court
As a co-equal branch of government, the judiciary presents
its budget to the President, who transmits it to Congress
unaltered, as part of his annual budget request.
The total FY2015 request for the Supreme Court, $89.1
Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in
million, is contained in two accounts: (1) Salaries and
the Financial Services and General Government
Expenses of $77.5 million and (2) Care of the Building and
Appropriations Act. Appropriations for the judiciary
Grounds of $11.6 million. The total represents a 3.4%
comprise approximately (0.2%) of total budget authority.
increase over the FY2014 enacted level.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Table 1 presents the FY2015 request and FY2014 enacted
level for each account.
This court, consisting of 12 judges, has jurisdiction over,
and review of, among other things, certain lower court
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2015
rulings on patents and trademarks, international trade, and
This account funds the operations of the federal public
federal claims cases. The FY2015 budget request is $33.1
defender and community defender organizations, and
million, an increase of 2.1% over the FY2014 enacted level.
compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private
practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve
U.S. Court of International Trade
as defense counsel to indigent individuals. The cost for this
account is driven by the number and type of prosecutions
This court has exclusive jurisdiction nationwide over the
brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2015 request is $1,053.2
civil actions against the United States, its agencies and
million, an increase of 0.8% over the FY2014 enacted level.
officers, and certain civil actions brought by the United
States arising out of import transactions and the
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
administration as well as enforcement of federal customs
and international trade laws. The FY2015 request of $19.8
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to
million is a decrease of 6.2% over the FY2014 enacted
grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land
level.
commissioners. The FY2015 request is $55.8 million, an
increase of 3.6% over the FY2014 enacted level.
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
Judicial Services
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC)
The total FY2015 funding request of $6,887.4 million
As the central support entity for the judiciary, the AOUSC
covers 12 of the 13 courts of appeals and 94 district judicial
provides a wide range of administrative, management,
courts located in the 50 states, District of Columbia,
program, and information technology services to the U.S.
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the
courts. AOUSC also provides support to the Judicial
Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam and
Conference of the United States, and implements
the U.S. Virgin Islands. The account is divided among
conference policies and applicable federal statutes and
salaries and expenses, the Vaccine Injury Compensation
regulations. The FY2015 request for AOUSC is $84.4
Trust Fund, court security, defender services, and fees of
million, an increase of 3.9% over the FY2014 enacted level.
jurors and commissioners.
Federal Judicial Center
Salaries and Expenses
As the judiciary’s research and education entity, the Federal
The FY2015 request for this account is $5,242.2 million, an
Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of
increase of 3.9% over the FY2014 enacted level.
judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees
and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
staff, and others with orientation and continuing education
and training. The center’s FY2015 request is $27.0 million,
Established to address a perceived crisis in vaccine tort
an increase of 2.9% over the FY2014 enacted level.
liability claims, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
funds a federal no-fault program that protects the
United States Sentencing Commission
availability of vaccines in the nation by diverting a
substantial number of claims from the tort arena. The
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices,
FY2015 request is $5.4 million, a 1.8% increase over the
and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The
FY2014 enacted level.
FY2015 request is $16.9 million, an increase of 4.2% over
the FY2014 enacted level.
Court Security
Judiciary Retirement Funds
This account provides for protective guard services,
security systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and
This mandatory account provides for three trust funds that
other federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial
finance payments to retired bankruptcy and magistrate
officers, employees, and visitors. Under this account, the
judges, retired Court of Federal Claims judges, and the
majority of funding for court security is transferred to the
spouses and dependent children of deceased judicial
U.S. Marshals Service to pay for court security officers
officers. The FY2015 request was for $143.6 million.
under the Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2015
request is $530.8 million, an increase of 6.7% over the
FY2014 enacted level.
Matthew E. Glassman, Analyst on the Congress
Defender Services
IF10459
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2015
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