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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 30, 2009
Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act of 2009 - Amends the federal judicial code to divide the Ninth Judicial Circuit into the Ninth Circuit (to be composed of California, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands) and the Twelfth Circuit (to be composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington).
Requires the President to appoint five additional circuit judges for the new Ninth Circuit and two temporary judges for the former Ninth Circuit, to be stationed in California.
Specifies the locations where new circuits are to hold regular sessions. Locates the offices of the new Twelfth Circuit in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Assigns active circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to the new circuits. Allows senior circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to elect assignment.
Sets forth provisions governing the disposition of cases pending in the former Ninth Circuit before the effective date of this Act.
Authorizes the temporary assignment of circuit and district judges of the former Ninth Circuit among the new circuits.
Provides that the former Ninth Circuit shall cease to exist for administrative purposes two years after enactment of this Act.
People & committees
Sen. Ensign, John [R-NV] · R–NV
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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