[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3426 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3426

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend title 40, United States Code, to limit the construction of new 
    courthouses under certain circumstances, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Courthouse Affordability and Space 
Efficiency Act of 2025'' or the ``CASE Act''.

SEC. 2. REDUCING COSTS RELATED TO COURTHOUSES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, as 
amended by this act, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``Sec. 3320. Reducing costs related to courthouses
    ``(a) Limitation on New Courthouses.--The Administrator of General 
Services may not commence construction of any new courthouse if--
            ``(1) construction has not begun on or before the date of 
        enactment of this section; or
            ``(2) the design and construction of the new courthouse 
        fails to comply, at a minimum, with the courtroom sharing 
        requirements described in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Courtroom Sharing Requirements Defined.--The term `courtroom 
sharing requirements' means--
            ``(1) in courthouses with 10 or more active district 
        judges, 2 courtrooms per 3 active district judges, except such 
        courthouses may contain not less than 9 courtrooms for active 
        district judges;
            ``(2) in courthouses with 3 or more bankruptcy judges--
                    ``(A) 1 courtroom per 2 bankruptcy judges;
                    ``(B) 1 courtroom for emergency matters; and
                    ``(C) if there is an odd number of bankruptcy 
                judges, the number of courtrooms required pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A) shall be rounded down;
            ``(3) in courthouses with 3 or more senior district judges, 
        1 courtroom per 2 senior district judges; and
            ``(4) in courthouses with 3 or more magistrate judges--
                    ``(A) 1 courtroom per 2 magistrate judges;
                    ``(B) 1 criminal duty courtroom; and
                    ``(C) if there is an odd number of magistrate 
                judges, the number of courtrooms required pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A) shall be rounded down.
    ``(c) United States Courts Design Guide.--Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Design Guide for 
courthouses shall be updated to incorporate courtroom sharing 
requirements to the maximum extent practicable.
    ``(d) Utilization.--If a new courthouse will add capacity in the 
inventory of the General Services Administration, existing space in the 
same courthouse complex must be fully utilized or relinquished from the 
inventory of the General Services Administration.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 33 of title 40, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``3320. Reducing costs related to courthouses.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2025.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 3426

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To amend title 40, United States Code, to limit the construction of new 
    courthouses under certain circumstances, and for other purposes.