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S 2278 108th Congress Senate

Ninth Circuit Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2004

Official title: A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the appointment of additional Federal circuit judges, to divide the Ninth Judicial Circuit of the … Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the appointment of additional Federal circuit judges, to divide the Ninth Judicial Circuit of the United States into 3 circuits, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 5, 2004 See on congress.gov
Law Advice and consent of the SenateAlaskaAppellate courtsAppellate procedure
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ArizonaCaliforniaCongressGovernment Operations and PoliticsGuamHawaiiIdahoJudgesJudicial districtsJudicial reformJudicial tenureMontanaNevadaNorthern Mariana IslandsOregonPresidential appointmentsWashington State
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 7, 2004
Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. Hearings held.
Apr 1, 2004
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Apr 1, 2004
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action April 7, 2004

Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. Hearings held.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Ninth Circuit Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2004 - 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 Marianas Islands), the Twelfth Circuit (to be composed of Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana), and Thirteenth Circuit (to be composed of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington State).

Requires the President to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, five additional circuit judges for the new Ninth Circuit (not before January 21, 2005) and two temporary judges for the former Ninth Circuit.

Specifies the locations where the new circuits are to hold regular sessions.

Assigns active circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to the new circuits based on their current duty station. Allows senior circuit judges of the former Ninth Circuit to elect assignment to any of the three new circuits.

Specifies the disposition of cases pending in the former Ninth Circuit before the effective date of this Act as follows: (1) proceedings in matters that have been submitted for decision shall continue without regard to this Act; (2) matters not yet submitted for decision must be transferred to the court to which they would have been submitted under this Act; and (3) proceedings on petitions for rehearing or rehearing en banc that have been submitted or decided shall continue without regard to this Act.

Authorizes the temporary assignment of the circuit and district judges of the former Ninth Circuit among the new circuits. Authorizes administrative coordination among any two contiguous circuits among the new circuits.

Directs that the former Ninth Circuit shall cease to exist for administrative purposes two years after enactment of this Act.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2278: Ninth Circuit Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2004. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2278/
MLA
"S. 2278: Ninth Circuit Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2004." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2278/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2278, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2278/.
Markdown link
[S. 2278: Ninth Circuit Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2004](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2278/)
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