The CASE LOAD Act of 2025 (H.R. 1856) would add new federal district judgeships for the Eastern District of California in three steps: 2 additional judges starting in 2027, 1 additional judge starting in 2029, and 2 additional judges starting in 2031. To implement these additions, the bill also changes the official counts of authorized judgeships for California in the federal judiciary (the 28 U.S.C. 133(a) table) effective in each specified year. The bill authorizes funding as needed to support the new seats, including space and facilities. The sponsors listed in the bill are Rep. Costa and Rep. Obernolte; the metadata you provided notes the sponsor as unknown, but the full text identifies these two House sponsors. The bill is framed as a response to heavy caseloads and geographic population growth in the Eastern District of California. Findings in the bill emphasize the district’s large size and population (34 counties, about 8.4 million people), the limited number of permanent judgeships (six), and notably high pending caseloads per judge—well above the Ninth Circuit average—creating an unsustainable workload if vacancies arise.
Key Points
- 1Additions to Eastern District of California:
- 2- 2027: 2 additional district judges (effective January 20, 2027).
- 3- 2029: 1 additional district judge (effective January 4, 2029).
- 4- 2031: 2 additional district judges (effective January 20, 2031).
- 5Clerical amendments to the 28 U.S.C. 133(a) table:
- 6- 2027 amendment (effective 1/20/2027): California counts updated to reflect the change (the inserted table shows Eastern at 8 for that entry).
- 7- 2029 amendment (effective 1/4/2029): Eastern count updated to 9.
- 8- 2031 amendment (effective 1/20/2031): Eastern count updated to 11.
- 9Funding authorization:
- 10- The act authorizes appropriations as necessary to carry out the Act, including funding for space and facilities to accommodate the new positions.
- 11Appointment process:
- 12- As with other federal judgeships, new seats would be filled by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
- 13Purpose and impact:
- 14- The primary aim is to ease a heavy docket in the Eastern District of California, reduce pending caseloads, and improve court efficiency and timeliness by adding seats commensurate with population growth and caseload pressures.