Judiciary Budget Request, FY2021
May 5, 2020
Judiciary Budget Request, FY2021
Overview
million is an increase of 2.6% over the FY2020 enacted
The FY2021 judiciary budget request totals $8.56 billion.
level.
This total includes $7.82 billion in discretionary funds (an
increase of 4.4% over the FY2020 enacted level), and
Table 1. FY2021 Discretionary Request and FY2020
$739.7 million in mandatory funding, which is used to pay
Discretionary Appropriations
the salaries and benefits of judges.
(in millions of dollars)
The judiciary also uses nonappropriated funds to offset its
FY2021 FY2020
appropriations requirement. The majority of these
Account
Request Enacted
nonappropriated funds are from the collection of fees,
Supreme Court
primarily court filing fees. The appropriation request
reflects the net needs of the judiciary after use of these
Buildings and Grounds
$11.7
$15.6
funds.
Salaries and Expenses
$93.6
$87.7
As a coequal branch of government, the judiciary presents
its budget to the President, who transmits it to Congress
Court of Appeals for the Federal
$34.0
$32.7
unaltered, as part of his annual budget request.
Circuit
Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in
Court of International Trade
$20.1
$19.6
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
and Other Judicial Services
budget authority.
Salaries and Expenses
$5,459.5 $5,250.2
Table 1 presents the FY2021 discretionary request and
FY2020 discretionary enacted level for each account. The
Vaccine Injury Trust Fund
$9.7
$9.1
enacted levels are based on amounts included in regular
FY2020 appropriations, and do not include any
Defender Services
$1,316.2 $1,234.6
supplemental appropriations subsequently provided.
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$55.5
$53.5
Individual Accounts
Supreme Court
Court Security
$664.0
$639.2
The total FY2021 discretionary request for the Supreme
Administrative Office of the U.S.
$99.8
$94.3
Court, $105.3 million, is contained in two accounts: (1)
Courts
Salaries and Expenses ($93.6 million) and (2) Care of the
Federal Judicial Center
$31.3
$30.4
Building and Grounds ($11.7 million). The total represents
a 1.9% increase over the FY2020 enacted level.
Sentencing Commission
$20.3
$19.7
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
TOTAL
$7,815.7 $7,486.5
This court, consisting of 12 judges, has jurisdiction over
Source: FY2021 Judicial Branch Budget Justification.
and review of certain lower court rulings on patents and
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
trademarks, international trade, and federal claims cases.
The FY2021 discretionary budget request is $34.0 million,
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial
a 4.0% increase over the FY2020 enacted level.
Services
U.S. Court of International Trade
The total FY2021 discretionary funding request of $7,504.9
million covers 12 of the 13 courts of appeals and 94 district
This court has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil
courts located in the 50 states, District of Columbia,
actions against the United States, its agencies and officers,
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the
and certain civil actions brought by the United States
Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam and
arising out of import transactions and the administration as
the U.S. Virgin Islands. The account is divided among
well as enforcement of federal customs and international
salaries and expenses, the Vaccine Injury Compensation
trade laws. The FY2021 discretionary request of $20.1
Trust Fund, court security, defender services, and fees of
jurors and commissioners.
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2021
Salaries and Expenses
and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court
staff, and others with orientation, continuing education, and
The FY2021 discretionary request for this account is
training. The center’s FY2021 request is $31.3 million, an
$5,459.5 million, an increase of 4.0% over the FY2020
increase of 3.0% over the FY2020 enacted level.
enacted level.
United States Sentencing Commission
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices,
The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program funds a federal
and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The
no-fault program that protects the availability of vaccines in
FY2021 request is $20.3 million, an increase of 3.0% over
the nation by diverting a substantial number of claims from
the FY2020 enacted level.
the tort arena. The FY2021 request is $9.7 million, a 6.6%
increase over the FY2020 enacted level.
Mandatory Funding
Mandatory funding in the judiciary budget includes
Court Security
constitutionally required funding for the salaries and
benefits of Article III judges, as well as statutory direct
This account provides for protective services, security
spending for the salaries and benefits of certain Article I
systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and other
judges. Table 2 presents the FY2021 mandatory request
federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial officers,
and FY2020 enactment for each account.
employees, and visitors. Under this account, the majority of
funding for court security is transferred to the U.S.
Table 2. FY2021 Mandatory Budget Request
Marshals Service to pay for court security officers under the
(in millions of dollars)
Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2021 request is
$664.0 million, an increase of 3.9% over the FY2020
FY2021
FY2020
enacted level.
Account
Request Enacted
Supreme Court
$2.7
$2.7
Defender Services
Court of Appeals for the Federal
This account funds the operations of the federal public
$3.2
$3.1
Circuit
defender and community defender organizations, and
compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private
Court of International Trade
$2.1
$2.1
practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve
as defense counsel to indigent individuals. The cost for this
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
$469.4
$457.5
account is determined by the number and type of
and Other Judicial Services
prosecutions brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2021
Judicial Retirement Funds
$262.3
$240.1
request is $1,316.2 million, an increase of 6.6% over the
FY2020 enacted level.
TOTAL
$739.7
$705.5
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
Source: FY2021 Judicial Branch Budget Justification. Enacted column
reflects FY2020 assumed financial plan levels.
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to
Note: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land
commissioners. The FY2021 request is $55.5 million, an
CRS Report on FY2020 Judiciary
increase of 3.7% over the FY2020 enacted level.
Appropriations
CRS has an in-depth report that provides an overview of the
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO)
judiciary’s FY2020 budget request, as well as information
about congressional consideration of the request. For
As the central support entity for the judiciary, the AO
additional information, see CRS Report R45965, Judiciary
provides a wide range of administrative, management,
Appropriations, FY2020, by Barry J. McMillion.
program, and information technology services to the U.S.
courts. The AO also provides support to the Judicial
The President submitted the judiciary’s FY2021 budget
Conference of the United States, and implements
request on February 10, 2020. A CRS report on FY2021
conference policies and applicable federal statutes and
judiciary appropriations will be released later in the
regulations. The FY2021 request for the AO is $99.8
calendar year as Congress begins to consider the request.
million, an increase of 5.8% over the FY2020 enacted level.
Federal Judicial Center
Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National
Government
As the judiciary’s research and education entity, the Federal
IF11534
Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of
judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2021
Disclaimer
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