Courthouse Affordability and Space Efficiency Act of 2025

Key Points

• This policy changes how the government builds new federal courthouses to save taxpayer money. It requires judges to share courtrooms rather than giving every judge their own private room, which helps reduce the size and cost of new buildings.
• Under these rules, larger courthouses must provide two courtrooms for every three active district judges. Bankruptcy judges, senior judges, and magistrate judges will also be required to share, with one courtroom for every two judges.
• The policy aims to stop the construction of oversized federal buildings that often sit empty. By requiring judges to share space, the government can build smaller facilities that are cheaper to maintain and operate.
• Before any new space can be added to a courthouse complex, the government must prove that the existing space is being fully used. If the old space is no longer needed, it must be removed from the government's inventory.
• The agency in charge of federal buildings, the General Services Administration, has 180 days to update its official design guides to include these new sharing requirements for all future projects.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.