Discretionary Appropriations for the Federal Judiciary (FY2024): Comparison of Amounts Recommended by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees

Discretionary Appropriations for the Federal Judiciary (FY2024): Comparison of Amounts Recommended by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees

INSIGHTi

Discretionary Appropriations for the Federal
Judiciary (FY2024): Comparison of Amounts
Recommended by the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees
November 3, 2023
This Insight provides information related to FY2024 appropriations for the federal judiciary. Funds for the
judicial branch are included annually in the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG)
appropriations bill. The FSGG appropriations bill was not enacted prior to the beginning of FY2024 on
October 1, 2023. The FY2024 Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act (P.L. 118-15), passed
by Congress on September 30, 2023, and signed by the President on the same date, currently provides
government funding through November 17, 2023.
The Judiciary’s FY2024 Budget Request
The judiciary’s FY2024 budget request was submitted to Congress on March 9, 2023. By law, the
President includes, without change, the judiciary’s appropriations request in his annual budget submission
to Congress.
The judiciary’s FY2024 request included $9.14 billion in discretionary funds, representing an 8.0%
increase over the FY2023 enacted level of $8.46 billion in discretionary funds provided in the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328). The amount enacted by Congress for FY2023
represented 97.9% of the judiciary’s FY2023 request for $8.64 billion in discretionary funds.
The judiciary’s FY2024 budget request also included $796.1 million in mandatory appropriations used to
meet the constitutional and statutory obligations associated with paying the salaries and benefits of certain
types of judges and also to provide funds for judicial retirement accounts.
House Committee Markup of the Judiciary’s FY2024 Budget Request
On June 22, 2023, the House Appropriations subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government held a markup of the FY2024 FSGG bill. The subcommittee, by voice vote, recommended a
total of $8.68 billion in discretionary funds for the judiciary.
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On July 13, 2023, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the FY2024 FSGG bill and, by
a vote of 34-26, recommended $8.68 billion in discretionary funds for the judiciary (H.R. 4664; H.Rept.
118-145).
No hearings were held by either the House FSGG subcommittee or the House Appropriations Committee
on the judiciary’s FY2024 budget request.
The House Appropriations Committee markup amount of $8.68 billion represents 95.0% of the judiciary’s
FY2024 request for $9.14 billion in discretionary funds.
Senate Committee Markup of the Judiciary’s FY2024 Budget Request
The markup scheduled for July 11, 2023, by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Financial
Services and General Government was cancelled and not rescheduled.
On July 13, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup of the FY2024 FSGG bill and, by
a vote of 29-0, recommended $8.57 billion in discretionary funds for the judiciary (S. 2309; S.Rept. 118-
61).
No hearings were held by either the Senate FSGG subcommittee or the Senate Appropriations Committee
on the judiciary’s FY2024 budget request.
The Senate Appropriations Committee markup amount of $8.57 billion represents 93.8% of the
judiciary’s FY2024 request for $9.14 billion in discretionary funds.
Summary of Amounts by Account
Table 1 provides, for each judiciary account, (1) the enacted discretionary amounts for FY2023; (2) the
discretionary amounts requested by the judiciary for FY2024; (3) the discretionary amounts for FY2024
recommended by the House Appropriations Committee; and (4) the discretionary amounts for FY2024
recommended by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Table 1 does not include mandatory
appropriations.
Table 1. Discretionary Appropriations Amounts for the Judiciary: FY2023 Enacted, FY2024
Request, FY2024 Reported by House and Senate Appropriations Committees
(in millions of dollars)
FY2023
FY2024
FY2024 House
FY2024 Senate
Account
Enacted
Request
Comm. Markup Comm. Markup
Supreme Court (total)
$138.80
$147.75
$144.62
$140.08
Supreme Court—Salaries and Expenses
$109.55
$127.06
$124.20
$119.39
Supreme Court—Buildings and Grounds
$29.25
$20.69
$20.42
$20.69
Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit
$36.74
$39.68
$38.99
$36.74
Court of International Trade
$21.26
$22.40
$22.10
$21.26
Courts of Appeals, District Courts,
and Other Judicial Services (total)
$8,106.12
$8,757.65
$8,314.70
$8,211.12
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, Etc.—
$5,905.06
$6,370.39
$6,050.97
$6,010.06
Salaries and Expenses
Defender Services
$1,382.68
$1,533.02
$1,411.12
$1,382.68
Court Security
$750.16
$783.47
$782.73
$750.16

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FY2023
FY2024
FY2024 House
FY2024 Senate
Account
Enacted
Request
Comm. Markup Comm. Markup
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
$58.24
$59.90
$59.90
$58.24
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
$9.98
$10.87
$9.98
$9.98
Administrative Office of the U.S.
Courts
$102.67
$112.97
$107.30
$102.67
Federal Judicial Center
$34.26
$35.08
$34.17
$34.26
Sentencing Commission
$21.64
$23.15
$22.50
$21.64
TOTAL
$8,461.49
$9,138.68
$8,684.38
$8,567.77
Sources: FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328), FY2024 Congressional Budget Summary, H.R. 4664, S.
2309.
Note: Mandatory appropriations are not included in the table.
Of the judiciary’s FY2024 total request for $9.14 billion in discretionary funds (see the second column in
Table 1), the greatest amount of the request was for accounts within the Courts of Appeals, District
Courts, and Other Judicial Services category—representing 95.8% of the judiciary’s total request. Courts,
programs, and other items funded by this large account include the U.S. courts of appeals, U.S. district
courts (including territorial courts), U.S. bankruptcy courts, U.S. magistrate judge positions, pretrial and
probation services, federal public defender organizations, protective guard services and security systems
and equipment for court security, fees and allowances paid to federal jurors, and payments to the Vaccine
Injury Compensation Trust Fund.
Within the Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services category, the three greatest
differences in markup amounts between the House and Senate Appropriations Committees (with each
amount being greater in the House markup), were for the Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
Judicial Services—Salaries and Expenses account (a difference of $40.91 million), Court Security
account ($32.57 million), and Defender Services ($28.44 million).
Apart from the House and Senate differences within the Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other
Judicial Services category, the three greatest differences in markup amounts between the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees (with each amount being greater in the House markup), were for the
Supreme Court—Salaries and Expenses account (a difference of $4.81 million), Administrative Office of
U.S. Courts account ($4.63 million), and the Federal Circuit account ($2.25 million).

Author Information

Barry J. McMillion

Analyst in American National Government

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