Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3426) to amend title 40, United States Code, to limit the construction of new courthouses under certain circumstances, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3426

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025'' or the ``CASE Act''. SEC. 2. REDUCING COSTS RELATED TO COURTHOUSES.

(a) In General.--Chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, as amended by this act, is further amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 3320. Reducing costs related to courthouses

``(a) Limitation on New Courthouses.--The Administrator of General Services may not commence construction of any new courthouse if--

``(1) construction has not begun on or before the date of enactment of this section; or

``(2) the design and construction of the new courthouse fails to comply, at a minimum, with the courtroom sharing requirements described in subsection (b).

``(b) Courtroom Sharing Requirements Defined.--The term `courtroom sharing requirements' means--

``(1) in courthouses with 10 or more active district judges, 2 courtrooms per 3 active district judges, except such courthouses may contain not less than 9 courtrooms for active district judges;

``(2) in courthouses with 3 or more bankruptcy judges--

``(A) 1 courtroom per 2 bankruptcy judges;

``(B) 1 courtroom for emergency matters; and

``(C) if there is an odd number of bankruptcy judges, the number of courtrooms required pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be rounded down;

``(3) in courthouses with 3 or more senior district judges, 1 courtroom per 2 senior district judges; and

``(4) in courthouses with 3 or more magistrate judges--

``(A) 1 courtroom per 2 magistrate judges;

``(B) 1 criminal duty courtroom; and

``(C) if there is an odd number of magistrate judges, the number of courtrooms required pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be rounded down.

``(c) United States Courts Design Guide.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Design Guide for courthouses shall be updated to incorporate courtroom sharing requirements to the maximum extent practicable.

``(d) Utilization.--If a new courthouse will add capacity in the inventory of the General Services Administration, existing space in the same courthouse complex must be fully utilized or relinquished from the inventory of the General Services Administration.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``3320. Reducing costs related to courthouses.''.

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Mr. TAYLOR. 3426, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3426, the CASE Act, limits the size of courthouses, by directing the General Services Administration, or GSA, to only build new courthouses that accommodate courtroom sharing.

Specifically, the CASE Act codifies the judiciary's current courtroom sharing policies for magistrate, senior, and bankruptcy judges.

For large courthouses, the legislation also directs there can only be two courtrooms for every three district court judges.

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, on a bipartisan basis, has conducted oversight of the Federal courthouse construction program across multiple administrations.

Historically, courthouses have been significantly overbuilt, costing the American taxpayers billions of dollars to build, operate, and maintain. In 2010, the GAO, Government Accountability Office, found that courthouses built from 2000 to 2010 were overbuilt by 3.56 million square feet, costing an additional $800 million in addition to $51 million annually to operate and maintain.

Despite oversight, and even at one point a moratorium on authorizing new courthouses, the courts issued an updated courthouse design guide in 2021 that did just the opposite of consolidating the judiciary's space.

A GAO review of the updated design guide revealed the changes in the design guide actually increase space in courthouses by 6 percent and will cost the taxpayer 12 percent more. The Government Accountability Office found one of the key driving forces in the overbuilding of courthouses to be the overprojection of future judges.

Proposals for new courthouses are driven not by building condition, security, or even the need for more space for current judges, but by the court's projection of future judges. The court's own methodology for prioritizing the need for a new courthouse, for example, relegated security concerns to just 10 percent of a weighted formula, but in contrast courtrooms and chambers account for 50 percent.

In reality, the courts' projections have been shown to be wrong. As a result, the taxpayer pays for space that sits vacant.

The CASE Act directs GSA, which builds and owns Federal courthouses, to only design and build courthouses that strictly comply with courtroom sharing requirements.

The committee has reported out similar language in the past and a hearing before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management earlier this year on courthouses reinforced the need for this legislation.

H.R. 3426, as amended, also incorporates reasonable revisions recommended by the courts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Shreve) for his leadership on this legislation and the gentlewoman from D.C. (Ms. Norton) for working on this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, H.R. 3426 as amended, will rightsize Federal courthouses, reducing unneeded space and potentially saving the taxpayer billions of dollars.

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed reforms to begin the process of rightsizing the Federal Government's real estate portfolio last Congress. This legislation continues that work of ensuring a more efficient use of taxpayer resources.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 3426, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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