II

116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION

S. 3321

To authorize 4 additional judgeships and to convert a temporary judgeship
for the district of Arizona.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 13, 2020
Ms. MCSALLY (for herself and Ms. SINEMA) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL
To authorize 4 additional judgeships and to convert a
temporary judgeship for the district of Arizona.
1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘District of Arizona

5 Judgeship Authorization Act of 2020’’.
6

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

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Congress finds the following:

8

(1) In its March 2019 report, the Judicial Con-

9

ference of the United States requested from Con-

10

gress, for the district of Arizona, the creation of 4

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1

new district judgeships and the conversion of 1 tem-

2

porary judgeship to a permanent judgeship.

3

(2) In fiscal year 2019, there were 14,205

4

pending cases averaging 1,093 cases per judgeship

5

in the district of Arizona. The median timelines for

6

civil and criminal filings to disposition were roughly

7

9.6 and 4.8 months, respectively. The filings for fis-

8

cal year 2019 were 15,301, or 1,177 per judgeship.

9

(3) The Judicial Conference of the United

10

States defines a judgeship vacancy to be a judicial

11

emergency if weighted filings are in excess of 600

12

per judgeship.

13

(4) The district of Arizona currently has 800

14

weighted filings per judgeship, above the threshold

15

for a judicial emergency and above the 2018 na-

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tional average of 513 weighted filings per judgeship.

17

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGESHIPS FOR THE DIS-

18
19

TRICT OF ARIZONA.

(a) ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGESHIPS.—The Presi-

20 dent shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent
21 of the Senate, 4 additional district judges for the district
22 of Arizona.

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(b) CONVERSION

OF

TEMPORARY JUDGESHIP.—The

24 existing judgeship for the district of Arizona authorized
25 by section 312(c) of the 21st Century Department of Jus•S 3321 IS
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S3321

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1 tice Appropriations Authorization Act (Public Law 107–
2 273, 28 U.S.C. 133 note), as of the date of enactment
3 of this Act, shall be authorized under section 133 of title
4 28, United States Code, and the incumbent in that office
5 shall hold the office under section 133 of title 28, United
6 States Code, as amended by this Act.
7

(c) TECHNICAL

CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—

AND

8 The table in section 133(a) of title 28, United States
9 Code, is amended by striking the item relating to Arizona
10 and inserting the following:
‘‘Arizona .........................................................................................

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Æ

•S 3321 IS
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17’’.