Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024

Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024

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Updated February 7, 2024
Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024
Overview
of $22.4 million is an increase of 5.4% over the FY2023
enacted level.
The FY2024 judiciary budget request seeks $8.95 billion in
discretionary appropriations (an increase of 5.8% over the
Table 1. FY2023 Discretionary Appropriations and
FY2023 enacted level). The request also includes $796.1
FY2024 Discretionary Appropriations Request
million in mandatory appropriations for use, in part, to pay
(in millions of dol ars)
the salaries and benefits of certain types of judges and
provide funds for judicial retirement accounts.
FY2023
FY2024
Account
Enacted Request
The judiciary also uses non-appropriated funds to offset its
Supreme Court (total)
$138.80 $161.26
appropriations requirement. The majority of these non-
Salaries and Expenses
$109.55
$140.57
appropriated funds are derived from the collection of fees,
primarily court filing fees. The judiciary’s annual
appropriations request reflects the net needs of the judiciary
Buildings and Grounds
$29.25
$20.69
after the use of non-appropriated funds.
Court of Appeals for the Federal
$36.74
$39.68
Circuit
Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in
the Financial Services and General Government
Court of International Trade
$21.26
$22.40
Appropriations (FSGG) bill.
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
$8,106.12 $8,567.74
Table 1 presents the FY2023 discretionary enacted level
and Other Judicial Services (total)
and the FY2024 discretionary request for each account. The
amounts reported for the federal judiciary’s FY2024 request Salaries and Expenses
$5,905.06 $6,217.26
reflect reestimated amounts of funding needs submitted by
the judiciary on November 8, 2023, and not the amounts
Defender Services
$1,382.68 $1,505.78
submitted in its original request on March 9, 2023.
Court Security
$750.16
$783.23
Individual Accounts
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$58.24
$50.60
Supreme Court
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
$9.98
$10.87
The total FY2024 discretionary request for the Supreme
Court, $161.3 million, is contained in two accounts: (1)
Administrative Office of the U.S.
$102.67 $105.53
Salaries and Expenses ($140.6 million) and (2) Care of the
Courts
Building and Grounds ($20.7 million). The total represents
a 16.2% increase over the FY2023 enacted level.
Federal Judicial Center
$34.26
$35.08
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Sentencing Commission
$21.64
$23.15
This court, consisting of 12 judges, exercises jurisdiction
TOTAL
$8,461.49 $8,954.85
over certain lower court rulings on patents and trademarks,
Sources: H.R. 2617, FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L.
international trade, and federal claims cases. The FY2024
117-328); Enclosure 1 of Judicial Conference letter to Reps. Kay
discretionary budget request is $39.7 million, an increase of
Granger, Steve Womack, Rosa DeLauro, and Steny H. Hoyer,
8.0% over the FY2023 enacted level.
November 8, 2023.
U.S. Court of International Trade
Note: Table reports only those amounts included in regular FY2023
appropriations. Columns may not sum due to rounding.
This court has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
actions against the United States, its agencies, and its
Judicial Services
officers, and certain civil actions brought by the United
States arising out of import transactions and the
The total FY2024 discretionary funding request of $8.57
administration and enforcement of federal customs and
billion covers 12 of the regional courts of appeals and 94
international trade laws. The FY2024 discretionary request
district courts located in the 50 states, District of Columbia,
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the
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Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam and
and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court
the U.S. Virgin Islands. The account is divided among
staff, and others with orientation, continuing education, and
salaries and expenses, defender services, court security, the
training. The center’s FY2024 request is $35.1 million, an
fees of jurors and commissioners, and the Vaccine Injury
increase of 2.4% over the FY2023 enacted level.
Compensation Trust Fund.
United States Sentencing Commission
Salaries and Expenses
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices,
The FY2024 discretionary request for this account is $6.22
and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The
billion, an increase of 5.3% over the FY2023 enacted level.
FY2024 request is $23.2 million, an increase of 7.0% over
the FY2023 enacted level.
Defender Services
This account funds the operations of the federal public
Mandatory Funding
defender and community defender organizations, and
compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private
Mandatory funding in the judiciary budget includes
practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve
constitutionally required funding for the salaries and
as defense counsel to indigent individuals. The cost for this
benefits of Article III judges, as well as statutory direct
account is determined by the number and type of
spending for the salaries and benefits of certain Article I
prosecutions brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2024
judges. Mandatory appropriations also provide funding for
request is $1.51 billion, an increase of 8.9% over the
judicial retirement accounts. Table 2 presents the FY2023
FY2023 enacted level.
enactment for each account and the FY2024 request.
Court Security
Table 2. FY2023 Mandatory Appropriations and
FY2024 Mandatory Budget Request
This account provides for protective services, security
(in millions of dol ars)
systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and other
federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial officers,
FY2023
FY2024
employees, and visitors. Under this account, the majority of
Account
Enacted Request
funding for court security is transferred to the U.S.
Marshals Service to pay for court security officers under the
Supreme Court
$2.90
$3.07
Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2024 request is
Court of Appeals for the Federal
$783.2 million, an increase of 4.4% over the FY2023
$3.36
$3.53
Circuit
enacted level.
Court of International Trade
$2.16
$2.38
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to
$501.15
$535.26
and Other Judicial Services
grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land
commissioners. The FY2024 request is $50.6 million, a
Judicial Retirement Funds
$251.80
$251.90
decrease of 13.1% over the FY2023 enacted level.
TOTAL
$761.37 $796.14
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
Source: Fiscal Year 2024 Congressional Budget Summary (prepared
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program funds
by 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 $105.5 million,
continue prioritizing its national IT initiatives, including
an increase of 2.8% over the FY2023 enacted level.
critical improvements in cybersecurity and IT
Federal Judicial Center
modernization.
Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National
As the judiciary’s research and education entity, the Federal
Government
Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of
judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees
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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2024

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