Congress·In Committee·H.R. 9362

District of Columbia Courts Judicial Vacancy Reduction Act

D.C. Court Judges: Automatic Appointment Process

Jun 18·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: District of Columbia Courts Judicial Vacancy Reduction Act

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: A house committee

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Rules Committee are reviewing this bill. It has not moved since June 18, 2026, and most bills do not receive a committee vote. The bill must be considered by these committees before it can move forward.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

This bill faces a steep climb because it asks the Senate to give up its power to confirm judges. Similar efforts to increase D.C. independence have historically struggled to pass.

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 483 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 483 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill changes how judges are picked for local D.C. courts. Right now, the Senate must vote to confirm these judges, which often leads to long delays. Under this plan, the President would appoint judges directly from a list of recommended names provided by a local commission.
If the President does not act quickly to fill a vacancy, a local D.C. commission would have the power to appoint the judges themselves. This ensures that court seats do not stay empty for years while waiting for action from the White House or the Senate.
Congress would still have 30 days to review any new judge. If both the House and Senate pass a resolution to stop the appointment, the person cannot take the job. If Congress takes no action during those 30 days, the judge is automatically seated and can begin their work.
The goal is to speed up the legal process for people in D.C. Many local cases are delayed because there are not enough judges to hear them. By removing the need for a full Senate vote, the bill tries to keep the courts fully staffed and functioning.

Impact Analysis

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

Milestones

2 milestones3 actions

Jun 18, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Jun 18, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Jun 18, 2026

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E589)

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

District of Columbia Courts Judicial Vacancy Reduction Act

Bill NumberHR 9362

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.