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Federal Courts Budget Protection Act

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 837.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Aug 5, 1999

Federal Courts Budget Protection Act - Rewrites provisions of the Federal judicial code regarding budget estimates for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Requires the Director of the Office, under the supervision of the Judicial Conference of the United States, to submit to Congress before January 25 of each year annual estimates of the expenditures and appropriations necessary for: (1) the maintenance and operation of the courts and the Office and the operation of the judicial survivors annuity fund (the Fund), and any supplemental and deficiency estimates as may be required by law for such purposes (requires such estimates to be approved, before presentation to Congress, by the Judicial Conference, with exceptions for the Court of International Trade and for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which shall be approved by such courts, respectively); and (2) real property construction activities related to U.S. courthouses and other space occupied by entities of the judicial branch.Requires the Administrator of General Services, at such times as are required by Congress or the judicial branch to ensure timely development and consideration of courthouse needs and budget requests, to prepare and submit directly: (1) to the Director and to specified congressional committees prospectuses, including cost estimates, for future judicial branch construction, acquisition, and repair and alteration projects; and (2) to the Director preliminary planning, design, and cost estimates of future judicial branch construction, acquisition, and repair and alteration projects. Authorizes funds to be appropriated (in accordance with such estimates) to the judicial branch for deposit into the Federal Buildings Fund for the construction, acquisition, and repair and alteration of Federal courthouses, subject to a limitation.Directs that the estimates submitted to Congress under this Act also be submitted to the President for inclusion in the U.S. budget. Prohibits the President from: (1) making any changes in including the estimates in the budget; and (2) imposing or otherwise recommending implementation of a negative allowance, rescission, or any other form of reduction or change to such estimates.Requires the Director, for the purpose of preparing a unified Federal budget, to transmit to the President: (1) preliminary estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for the judicial branch before October 16 of each year; and (2) final estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for the judicial branch before December 24 of each year, which shall be identical to the estimates to be submitted to Congress.Requires the Director to cause periodic examinations of the Fund to be made by an actuary, whose findings and recommendations shall be transmitted to the Judicial Conference.Specifies that, except for the budget submission process provided in this Act, the Administrator's responsibilities for assessing (with the Director) facility requirements and specifications and costs and the planning and performance of construction, repair, and alteration functions for the judicial branch shall not be affected by this Act.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS] · R–MS

Committees

  • Budget Committee
  • Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
5 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 837.

  2. Senate Committee on the Budget discharged pursuant to the order of August 4, 1977.

  3. Senate Committee on the Budget discharged pursuant to the order of August 4, 1977.

  4. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Thompson under authority of the order of the Senate of 07/26/2000 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 106-379.

  5. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Thompson under authority of the order of the Senate of 07/26/2000 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 106-379.

  6. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  7. Read twice and referred jointly to the Committees on Budget; Governmental Affairs pursuant to the order of August 4, 1977, with instructions that if one Committee reports, the other Committee have thirty days to report or be discharged.

  8. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

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Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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