This bill splits up the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is one of the federal appeals courts that handles cases from the western United States. Right now, this court covers a huge area including California, Hawaii, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, plus Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The bill would divide it into two separate courts instead. The new Ninth Circuit would handle cases from California, Guam, Hawaii, and Northern Mariana Islands. A brand new court called the Twelfth Circuit would take over cases from Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Why does this matter? Federal appeals courts are busy, and splitting one into two could mean faster case decisions for people in these regions since each court would handle fewer cases. It would also require appointing new judges to staff the Twelfth Circuit. This is a significant reorganization of how federal courts operate in the western part of the country, which could affect how quickly legal disputes get resolved for businesses, individuals, and government agencies in these states and territories.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2025

Simpson, Michael K.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2025&nbsp;This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into two judicial circuits: (1) the Ninth Circuit, and (2) a new Twelfth Circuit.The Ninth Circuit is composed of California, Guam, Hawaii, and Northern Mariana Islands. The new Twelfth Circuit is composed of Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.