# 119-s-5412: Better Bench Act

119-s-5412, Better Bench Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL); status introduced (as of 2026-10-09).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5412
- As of: 2026-10-09
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5412
- Congress: 119
- Title: Better Bench Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-16
- Sponsor: Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Law
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-09

## Summary

**Removes the federal residency requirement for circuit judges.** The bill replaces the old residence rule with a new system that makes the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts responsible for providing facilities and administrative support to judges based on where they live.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-09-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More location flexibility for federal judges: benefit, low. This bill would remove a statutory sentence that required circuit judges to live in certain places. It would require the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to provide facilities and administrative support to circuit judges and judges of the Court of Federal Claims. Judges who live wi…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-539: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-1782: Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act
- 119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-5412 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5412)

## Related
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-539: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-539)
- [119-s-1782: Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1782)
- [119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-237)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5412 (as of 2026-10-09).