S 2379119th CongressIntroduced

Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act

Introduced: Jul 22, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-Texas)

Civil Rights & JusticeDefense & National Security

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, would amend the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 to allow the State Justice Institute (SJI) to award funding to eligible national nonprofit organizations to create and operate a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center. The center’s purpose is to enhance judicial security for state and local judges and court staff through training, threat monitoring, coordination with law enforcement, standardized reporting practices, and a national database for threats and incidents. It also requires annual reporting to Congress on the number and seriousness of threats to state and local judiciary members and staff. The overall aim is to bolster prevention and response to threats against the judiciary.

Key Points

1Eligibility defined: An “eligible organization” is a national nonprofit with expertise in judicial security and safety at state/local levels, courthouse design and security standards, understanding of state judicial operations and public access, and experience working with diverse judges and court systems, including trial, appellate, rural, and limited-jurisdiction courts.
2Creation of the State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center: The bill adds a new center under SJI to support state-level threat security efforts.
3Center activities: The center would provide (A) training and resources on judicial security, including officer safety education, security guides, and physical security assessments; (B) proactive threat monitoring of judges and court staff; (C) coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement to mitigate threats; (D) standardized incident reporting and threat evaluation practices; (E) a national database for reporting, tracking, and sharing threat information among relevant security entities; (F) coordination of research to identify best practices in judicial security.
4Funding and support: SJI would be authorized to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible organizations to establish, implement, and operate the center.
5Reporting to Congress: Within one year after the center is established, SJI must submit an annual report to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees detailing the number and types of threats to state/local judiciary members and staff, including the level of seriousness.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: State and local judges and court staff, through enhanced security training, threat monitoring, and standardized threat reporting.Secondary group/area affected: Federal, state, and local law enforcement and fusion centers that would coordinate with the center on threat mitigation and information sharing.Additional impacts: Potential improvements in courthouse safety and security practices nationwide, creation of a centralized threat data resource, and increased federal-level oversight through annual congressional reports. The bill also raises considerations around data sharing, privacy, and civil liberties due to collection and national dissemination of threat information.

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