S. 2360 — Judicial Reorganization Act of 2025

This section defines three terms for purposes of the Act: (1) "former Ninth Circuit" as the Ninth Circuit of the United States as in existence on the day before the Act's effective date; (2) "new Ninth Circuit" as the Ninth Circuit established by the amendment made by section 3(2)(A); and (3) "Twelfth Circuit" as the Twelfth Circuit established by the amendment made by section 3(2)(B).

This section increases the number of judicial circuits from 13 to 14. It revises the Ninth Circuit to consist of California, Guam, and Hawaii and establishes a new Twelfth Circuit consisting of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

This section directs the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint two additional circuit judges for the former Ninth Circuit: (1) one whose official duty station shall be in California, Guam, or Hawaii; and (2) one whose official duty station shall be in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington.

This section reduces the number of authorized circuit judgeships for the Ninth Circuit to 18 (from 29) and establishes the Twelfth Circuit with 13 judgeships.

This section amends the table in 28 U.S.C. §48(a) specifying places where U.S. Courts of Appeals hold regular sessions— (1) by revising the Ninth Circuit locations to Honolulu, San Francisco, and Pasadena (from Anchorage, Boise, Fresno, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Pasadena, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane, and Tucson); and (2) by adding a new Twelfth Circuit with locations in Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland.

This section assigns each circuit judge of the former Ninth Circuit who is in regular active service on the day before the effective date of this Act to either the new Ninth Circuit or the Twelfth Circuit based on official duty station as follows: (1) California, Guam, or Hawaii to the new Ninth Circuit; and (2) Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington to the Twelfth Circuit.

This section allows each senior circuit judge of the former Ninth Circuit, as of the day before this Act's effective date, to elect assignment to either the new Ninth Circuit or the Twelfth Circuit and to notify the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts of such election.

This section specifies that the seniority of judges (1) assigned under section 7 or (2) electing assignment under section 8 runs from the date of their commission as a judge of the former Ninth Circuit.

This section establishes transition rules for appeals and other proceedings filed in the former Ninth Circuit before the effective date of this Act: (1) matters submitted for decision proceed in the former Ninth Circuit as if this Act had not been enacted; (2) unsubmitted matters transfer to the court that would have had jurisdiction had this Act been in effect when filed; and (3) petitions for rehearing or rehearing en banc are treated as if this Act had not been enacted, with any en banc rehearing conducted by a panel comprised as under pre-Act law.

This section authorizes the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as constituted the day before the Act's effective date, to take administrative actions required to implement the Act and its amendments. Such court ceases to exist for administrative purposes upon expiration of the two-year period beginning on the effective date.