Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025

The Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025 would establish new rules for how federal courthouses use their spaces. Currently pending in the Senate after passing the House, this bill would require the General Services Administration to implement courtroom sharing policies where multiple judges use the same courtroom rather than each having dedicated space. For example, in larger courthouses with many judges, the bill would require one courtroom for every two bankruptcy judges, senior district judges, or magistrate judges, and would set specific ratios for active district judges based on courthouse size.

The bill would also restrict the construction of new federal courthouses. Before building a new courthouse, the GSA would need to ensure that existing courthouse spaces are fully utilized or removed from inventory. Any new courthouse construction would have to comply with the courtroom sharing requirements outlined in the bill. Additionally, the GSA would be required to update the U.S. Courts Design Guide within 180 days to reflect these new efficiency standards.

For everyday citizens, this bill could mean changes to how federal court operations function. The courtroom sharing approach is intended to reduce the cost of building and maintaining federal courthouse facilities, potentially lowering government spending. However, it could also affect how quickly cases are scheduled and heard, depending on how effectively courtrooms can be shared among different types of judges. The bill represents an effort to make federal court infrastructure more cost-efficient while maintaining judicial operations.