Overview
The FY2025 judiciary budget request seeks $9.4 billion in discretionary appropriations (an increase of 8.4% over the FY2024 enacted level), and $852.4 million in mandatory appropriations used, in part, to pay the salaries and benefits of certain types of judges and provide funds for judicial retirement accounts.
The judiciary also uses non-appropriated funds to offset its appropriations requirement. The majority of these non-appropriated funds are derived from the collection of fees, primarily court filing fees. The judiciary's annual appropriations request reflects the net needs of the judiciary after the use of non-appropriated funds.
As a coequal branch of government, the judiciary transmits its budget request to the President, who includes it, without change, in his annual budget request to Congress. Appropriations for the judiciary are typically included in the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.
Table 1 presents the FY2024 discretionary enacted level and the FY2025 discretionary request for each account. The enacted levels are based on amounts included in regular FY2024 appropriations.
Individual Accounts
U.S. Supreme Court
The total FY2025 discretionary request for the Supreme Court, $160.0 million, is contained in two accounts: (1) Salaries and Expenses ($146.3 million) and (2) Care of the Building and Grounds ($13.7 million). The total represents a 6.7% increase over the FY2024 enacted level.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
This court, consisting of 12 judges, exercises jurisdiction over certain lower court rulings on patents and trademarks, international trade, and federal claims cases. The FY2025 discretionary budget request is $39.1 million, an increase of 6.5% over the FY2024 enacted level.
U.S. Court of International Trade
This court has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil actions against the United States, its agencies, and its officers and certain civil actions brought by the United States arising out of import transactions and the administration and enforcement of federal customs and international trade laws. The FY2025 discretionary request of $22.8 million is an increase of 7.0% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Table 1. FY2024 Discretionary Appropriations and FY2025 Discretionary Appropriations Request
(in millions of dollars)
|
Account |
FY2024 Enacted |
FY2025 Request |
|
Supreme Court (total) |
$150.0 |
$160.0 |
|
Salaries and Expenses |
$129.3 |
$146.3 |
|
Buildings and Grounds |
$20.7 |
$13.7 |
|
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit |
$36.7 |
$39.1 |
|
Court of International Trade |
$21.3 |
$22.8 |
|
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services (total) |
$8,264.1 |
$8,969.9 |
|
Salaries and Expenses |
$5,995.1 |
$6,414.0 |
|
Defender Services |
$1,450.7 |
$1,690.0 |
|
Court Security |
$750.2 |
$805.9 |
|
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners |
$58.4 |
$48.1 |
|
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund |
$10.0 |
$11.8 |
|
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts |
$102.7 |
$108.7 |
|
Federal Judicial Center |
$34.3 |
$35.5 |
|
Sentencing Commission |
$21.6 |
$23.3 |
|
TOTAL |
$8,630.7 |
$9,359.2 |
Sources: H.R. 2882, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-47); Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Fiscal Year 2025 Congressional Budget Summary, February 2024.
Note: Values may not sum to totals shown because of rounding.
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services
The total FY2025 discretionary funding request of approximately $9.0 billion covers 12 of the regional courts of appeals and 94 district courts located in the 50 states, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories. The account is divided among salaries and expenses, defender services, court security, the fees of jurors and commissioners, and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund.
Salaries and Expenses
The FY2025 discretionary request for this account is $6.4 billion, an increase of 7.0% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Defender Services
This account funds the operations of the federal public defender and community defender organizations, and compensation, reimbursements, and expenses of private practice panel attorneys appointed by federal courts to serve as defense counsel for indigent individuals. The cost for this account is determined by the number and type of prosecutions brought by U.S. attorneys. The FY2025 request is $1.7 billion, an increase of 16.5% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Court Security
This account provides for protective services, security systems, and equipment needs in courthouses and other federal facilities to ensure the safety of judicial officers, employees, and visitors. Under this account, the majority of funding for court security is transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service to pay for court security officers under the Judicial Facility Security Program. The FY2025 request is $805.9 million, an increase of 7.4% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
This account funds the fees and allowances provided to grand and petit jurors, and compensation for jury and land commissioners. The FY2025 request is $48.1 million, a decrease of 17.4% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program funds a federal no-fault program that protects the availability of vaccines in the nation by diverting a substantial number of claims from the tort arena. The FY2025 request is $11.8 million, an 18.0% increase over the FY2024 enacted level.
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO)
As the central support entity for the judiciary, the AO provides a wide range of administrative, management, program, and information technology (IT) services to the U.S. courts. The AO also provides support to the Judicial Conference of the United States and implements conference policies and applicable federal statutes and regulations. The FY2025 request for the AO is $108.7 million, an increase of 5.8% over the FY2024 enacted level.
As the judiciary's research and education entity, the Federal Judicial Center undertakes research and evaluation of judicial operations for the Judicial Conference committees and the courts. In addition, the center provides judges, court staff, and others with orientation, continuing education, and training. The center's FY2025 request is $35.5 million, an increase of 3.5% over the FY2024 enacted level.
The commission promulgates sentencing policies, practices, and guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. The FY2025 request is $23.3 million, an increase of 7.9% over the FY2024 enacted level.
Mandatory Funding
Mandatory funding in the judiciary budget includes required funding for the salaries and benefits of Article I and Article III judges. Mandatory appropriations also provide funding for judicial retirement accounts. Table 2 presents the FY2024 assumed appropriations level for each account and the judiciary's FY2025 request.
Table 2. FY2024 Mandatory Appropriations and FY2025 Mandatory Budget Request
(in millions of dollars)
|
Account |
FY2025 Request |
|
|
Supreme Court |
$3.1 |
$3.2 |
|
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit |
$3.5 |
$3.6 |
|
Court of International Trade |
$2.4 |
$2.5 |
|
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services |
$522.2 |
$550.2 |
|
Judicial Retirement Funds |
$251.9 |
$292.9 |
|
TOTAL |
$783.0 |
$852.4 |
FY2025 Funding Priorities
According to the federal judiciary, its FY2025 discretionary budget request reflects the need to maintain current services (e.g., meeting government-wide obligations to fund previously enacted federal employee pay increases) as well as the need to carry out the unique work of the judiciary. This work includes supporting the anticipated number of Article III judge confirmations, responding to expected workload and caseload changes, and funding critical investments in cybersecurity and IT modernization.
Document ID: IF12625