Judiciary Budget Request, FY2025

Judiciary Budget Request, FY2025

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April 4, 2024
Judiciary Budget Request, FY2025
Overview
Table 1. FY2024 Discretionary Appropriations and
The FY2025 judiciary budget request seeks $9.4 billion in
FY2025 Discretionary Appropriations Request
discretionary appropriations (an increase of 8.4% over the
(in millions of dollars)
FY2024 enacted level), and $852.4 million in mandatory
appropriations used, in part, to pay the salaries and benefits
FY2024 FY2025
of certain types of judges and provide funds for judicial
Account
Enacted Request
retirement accounts.
Supreme Court (total)
$150.0 $160.0
The judiciary also uses non-appropriated funds to offset its
Salaries and Expenses
$129.3
$146.3
appropriations requirement. The majority of these non-
appropriated funds are derived from the collection of fees,
Buildings and Grounds
$20.7
$13.7
primarily court filing fees. The judiciary’s annual
appropriations request reflects the net needs of the judiciary
Court of Appeals for the Federal
$36.7
$39.1
after the use of non-appropriated funds.
Circuit
Court of International Trade
$21.3
$22.8
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.
$8,264.1 $8,969.9
and Other Judicial Services (total)
Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in
the Financial Services and General Government
Salaries and Expenses
$5,995.1 $6,414.0
Appropriations bill.
Defender Services
$1,450.7 $1,690.0
Table 1 presents the FY2024 discretionary enacted level
and the FY2025 discretionary request for each account. The
Court Security
$750.2
$805.9
enacted levels are based on amounts included in regular
FY2024 appropriations.
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$58.4
$48.1
Individual Accounts
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
$10.0
$11.8
U.S. Supreme Court
Administrative Office of the U.S.
$102.7 $108.7
The total FY2025 discretionary request for the Supreme
Courts
Court, $160.0 million, is contained in two accounts: (1)
Salaries and Expenses ($146.3 million) and (2) Care of the
Federal Judicial Center
$34.3
$35.5
Building and Grounds ($13.7 million). The total represents
a 6.7% increase over the FY2024 enacted level.
Sentencing Commission
$21.6
$23.3
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
TOTAL
$8,630.7 $9,359.2
This court, consisting of 12 judges, exercises jurisdiction
Sources: H.R. 2882, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024
over certain lower court rulings on patents and trademarks,
(P.L. 118-47); Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Fiscal Year
international trade, and federal claims cases. The FY2025
2025 Congressional Budget Summary, February 2024.
discretionary budget request is $39.1 million, an increase of
6.5% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Note: Values may not sum to totals shown because of rounding.
U.S. Court of International Trade
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
This court has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil
Judicial Services
actions against the United States, its agencies, and its
officers and certain civil actions brought by the United
The total FY2025 discretionary funding request of
States arising out of import transactions and the
approximately $9.0 billion covers 12 of the regional courts
administration and enforcement of federal customs and
of appeals and 94 district courts located in the 50 states,
international trade laws. The FY2025 discretionary request
District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
of $22.8 million is an increase of 7.0% over the FY2024
U.S. territories. The account is divided among salaries and
enacted level.
expenses, defender services, court security, the fees of
jurors and commissioners, and the Vaccine Injury
Compensation Trust Fund.
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link to page 2 link to page 2 Judiciary Budget Request, FY2025
Salaries and Expenses
U.S. Sentencing Commission
The FY2025 discretionary request for this account is $6.4
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices,
billion, an increase of 7.0% over the FY2024 enacted level.
and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The
FY2025 request is $23.3 million, an increase of 7.9% over
Defender Services
the FY2024 enacted level.
This account funds the operations of the federal public
defender and community defender organizations, and
Mandatory Funding
compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private
Mandatory funding in the judiciary budget includes
practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve
required funding for the salaries and benefits of Article I
as defense counsel for indigent individuals. The cost for this
and Article III judges. Mandatory appropriations also
account is determined by the number and type of
provide funding for judicial retirement accounts. Table 2
prosecutions brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2025
presents the FY2024 assumed appropriations level for each
request is $1.7 billion, an increase of 16.5% over the
account and the judiciary’s FY2025 request.
FY2024 enacted level.
Table 2. FY2024 Mandatory Appropriations and
Court Security
FY2025 Mandatory Budget Request
This account provides for protective services, security
(in millions of dollars)
systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and other
federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial officers,
FY2024
FY2025
employees, and visitors. Under this account, the majority of
Account
Assumeda Request
funding for court security is transferred to the U.S.
Supreme Court
$3.1
$3.2
Marshals Service to pay for court security officers under the
Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2025 request is
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
$3.5
$3.6
$805.9 million, an increase of 7.4% over the FY2024
enacted level.
Court of International Trade
$2.4
$2.5
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to
$522.2
$550.2
Other Judicial Services
grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land
commissioners. The FY2025 request is $48.1 million, a
Judicial Retirement Funds
$251.9
$292.9
decrease of 17.4% over the FY2024 enacted level.
TOTAL
$783.0
$852.4
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program funds
Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Fiscal Year 2025
a federal no-fault program that protects the availability of
Congressional Budget Summary, February 2024.
vaccines in the nation by diverting a substantial number of
claims from the tort arena. The FY2025 request is $11.8
Note: Values may not sum to totals shown because of rounding.
million, an 18.0% increase over the FY2024 enacted level.
a. FY2024 mandatory levels represent FY2024 assumed financial
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO)
plan levels.
As the central support entity for the judiciary, the AO
FY2025 Funding Priorities
provides a wide range of administrative, management,
program, and information technology (IT) services to the
According to the federal judiciary, its FY2025 discretionary
U.S. courts. The AO also provides support to the Judicial
budget request reflects the need to maintain current services
Conference of the United States and implements conference
(e.g., meeting government-wide obligations to fund
policies and applicable federal statutes and regulations. The
previously enacted federal employee pay increases) as well
FY2025 request for the AO is $108.7 million, an increase of
as the need to carry out the unique work of the judiciary.
5.8% over the FY2024 enacted level.
This work includes supporting the anticipated number of
Article III judge confirmations, responding to expected
Federal Judicial Center
workload and caseload changes, and funding critical
As the judiciary’s research and education entity, the Federal
investments in cybersecurity and IT modernization.
Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of
judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees
Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National
and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court
Government
staff, and others with orientation, continuing education, and
training. The center’s FY2025 request is $35.5 million, an
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increase of 3.5% over the FY2024 enacted level.

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Judiciary Budget Request, FY2025

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