Judiciary Appropriations, FY2020 (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised May 18, 2020 |
| Report Number |
R45965 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Barry J. McMillion |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Funds for the judicial branch are included annually in the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill. The bill provides funding for the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; the U.S. Court of International Trade; U.S. courts of appeals and district courts; the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; the Federal Judicial Center; the U.S. Sentencing Commission; federal defender organizations that provide legal representation to defendants financially unable to retain counsel in federal criminal proceedings; security and protective services for courthouses, judicial officers, and judicial employees; and fees and allowances paid to jurors.
The judiciary's FY2020 budget request of $8.29 billion was submitted to Congress on March 11, 2019. By law, the President includes, without change, the appropriations request submitted by the judiciary in the annual budget submission to Congress.
The FY2020 budget request included $7.62 billion in discretionary funds, representing a 5.1% increase over the FY2019 enacted level of $7.25 billion provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6; February 15, 2019).
The FY2020 budget request also included $669.8 million in mandatory funds to pay the salaries and benefits of certain types of federal judges and to also provide for judicial retirement accounts.
The House Appropriations Committee held a markup (H.R. 3351) on June 11, 2019, and recommended the judiciary receive a total of $7.51 billion in discretionary funds. The House passed H.R. 3351 on June 26, 2019. The Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup (S. 2524) on September 19, 2019, and recommended the judiciary receive a total of $7.42 billion in discretionary funds.
The FSGG appropriations bill was not enacted prior to the beginning of FY2020 on October 1, 2019. Subsequently, the judiciary was funded through November 21, 2019, by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59, September 27, 2019) and from November 22, 2019, through December 20, 2019, by the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-69, November 21, 2019).
Final FY2020 appropriations for the judiciary were included in the FY2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-93). Congress provided a total of $8.19 billion, with $7.49 billion in discretionary funds and $705.5 million in mandatory funds. The act passed the House on December 17, 2019, the Senate on December 19, 2019, and was signed by the President on December 20, 2019.
In recent years, appropriations for the judiciary have comprised approximately 0.2% of total budget authority.
