Judicial Space and Facilities Management Effectiveness Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced
Summary
Gives the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) authority to take control of and manage certain federal courthouse properties. It would create a pilot to transfer custody to a new Judiciary Buildings Service and set up a dedicated Judicial Space and Facilities Management Fund to pay for building, leasing, and maintenance.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 4 mixed.
Judiciary Buildings Service authority
If enacted, the bill would let the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts create a Judiciary Buildings Service. The Service would be able to buy, manage, alter, build, lease, and lease out court space in pilot districts. It would be able to offer services like childcare, cafeterias, and fitness centers and to charge federal occupant agencies and outside tenants rates that cover full costs, including depreciation and future capital upgrades. The Director could also request transfers of Judiciary-occupied property from GSA for the pilot.
Audits and GAO oversight rules
If enacted, the bill would require annual independent audits of the new Fund and 30-day reporting of audit results to Congress. The Comptroller General would review the Director's actions within two years and every two years after that, and report to Congress on operations, contracts, waste, or mismanagement. The Director must give GAO secure access to property management systems and records and must share audit reports with federal agencies that occupy Director-managed properties on request.
Congressional approval for big projects
If enacted, the bill would bar using appropriations to buy or build court space in a covered district costing more than $10,000,000 unless approved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It would also bar alterations costing more than $5,000,000 or permanent leases with average annual costs over $10,000,000 in a covered district without those approvals. Dollar limits would be adjusted each year for inflation using a Commerce construction cost index, and the Director must send prospectuses and local consolidation plans to secure committee consideration.
New Judiciary Space Treasury fund
If enacted, the bill would create a Judicial Space and Facilities Management Fund in the Treasury. The Fund would hold amounts Congress appropriates for judiciary space, reimbursements and advances, and other approved amounts, and the money would be available until spent. The Fund could pay to buy, lease, build, fix, run, and furnish court space and could reimburse GSA up to GSA's actual costs. The Director could transfer up to $1,000,000 a year back to original accounts without prior notice; larger transfers require 15 days' notice to appropriations committees.
Thurgood Marshall building transfer
If enacted, the bill would transfer the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building to the Director 181 days after enactment. The transfer would be nonreimbursable and the Director would be responsible for all building functions and costs after transfer. The Director would be required to use the new Fund to reimburse the U.S. Capitol Police for exterior security costs, and the Capitol Police may accept and credit such transfers to their appropriation account.
Limits on leases and emergency leasing
If enacted, the bill would let the Director sign emergency leases during a presidentially declared emergency, but no emergency lease could run more than 180 days without a prospectus approval. The bill would also limit any lease entered by the Director to a maximum term of 20 years. It would require that lease payment obligations be limited to the current fiscal year for which payments are due, changing multi-year payment commitments.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
ND • R
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
AR • R
Sponsored 7/30/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov