Senate Bill Shifts Courthouse Control to Judiciary in Up to 10 Districts
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 30
Senate Bill Shifts Courthouse Control to Judiciary in Up to 10 Districts
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 30
Summary
A bipartisan Senate bill would move maintenance and management of dozens of federal courthouses from the General Services Administration to the judiciary through a pilot covering up to 10 of 94 judicial districts.
The proposal follows years of complaints that G.S.A. was slow to fix unsafe conditions, including at Chicago’s Dirksen courthouse, where an 83-year-old judge said he believed contaminated water caused his Legionnaires’ disease.
A newly created Judiciary Buildings Service would take custody and control of the selected properties, while Congress and the Government Accountability Office would oversee the program.
The pilot would begin expiring after seven years unless Congress extends it, testing a broader argument from sponsors that the judiciary should not remain dependent on executive-branch property management.
The push comes as G.S.A. says overdue courthouse repairs exceed $8.3 billion and argues it needs more authority to handle major projects without lengthy congressional approval.