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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 3968 (104th)

Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1996

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

2 August 1996

Last action

4 October 1996 · Committee

Status

For Further Action See S.1887.

Sponsors

Rep. Moorhead, Carlos J. [R-CA-22], Rep. Schroeder, Patricia [D-CO-1]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

7 April 2025

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Summary

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Amendments Title II: Judicial Process Improvements Title III: Judiciary Personnel Administration, Benefits, and Protections Title IV: Judicial Financial Administration Title V: Federal Courts Study Committee Recommendations Title VI: Places of Holding Court Title VII: Miscellaneous Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1996 - Title I: Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Amendments - Amends the Federal criminal code to authorize probation and pretrial services officers, if approved by the court, to carry firearms under such regulations as the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may prescribe. Title II: Judicial Process Improvements - Amends the Federal judicial code to expand the duties of a magistrate on an emergency assignment in a judicial district other than the one for which he or she has been appointed. (Sec. 202) Specifies that a judgment in an action for the recovery of money or property entered in any court of appeals or bankruptcy court, as well as any district court, may be registered by filing a certified copy of the judgment, subject to specified requirements. (Sec. 203) Provides that when: (1) the office of clerk of court is vacant, the deputy clerks shall perform the duties of the clerk in the name of the last person who held that office; and (2) the clerk is incapacitated, absent, or otherwise unavailable to perform official duties, the deputy clerks shall perform such duties. (Sec. 204) Provides that, until specified amendments made by the Bankruptcy Judges, United States Trustees, and Family Farmer Bankruptcy Act of 1986 become effective in a judicial district and apply to a case, a bankruptcy administrator appointed to serve in the district shall appoint the trustees, examiners, and standing trustees. (Sec. 205) Repeals a Federal judicial code provision authorizing the parties to consent to appeals of decisions by magistrate judges in civil cases to a judge of the district court in the same manner as on an appeal from a judgment of the district court to a court of appeals. (Sec. 207) Requires each judicial council, by January 31 of each year, to submit a report to the Administrative Office on orders entered during the preceding calendar year relating to judicial misconduct or disability. Title III: Judiciary Personnel Administration, Benefits, and Protections - Amends the Federal judicial code to authorize, for retirement eligibility determinations, retroactive credit for resumption of a significant workload by a judge under specified circumstances and aggregation by a justice or judge for partial years worked. (Sec. 302) Revises provisions regarding: (1) the refund of contribution for deceased deferred annuitants under the judicial survivors' annuities system; and (2) the contribution rate for senior judges under the judicial survivors' annuities system. (Sec. 303) Amends the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984 to provide that when filling vacancies: (1) the court of appeals may consider reappointing incumbent bankruptcy judges; and (2) all incumbent nominees seeking reappointment may be considered for such a reappointment pursuant to a majority vote of the judges of the appointing court of appeals, under specified procedures. (Sec. 305) Deems a court reporter to be a full-time employee during any pay period for which the reporter receives a salary at the annual salary rate fixed for a full-time reporter. (Sec. 306) Authorizes the presiding judicial officer to appoint a certified or otherwise qualified sign language interpreter to provide services to a participant in a judicial proceeding upon determining that such participant suffers from a hearing impairment. Title IV: Judicial Financial Administration - Amends the Federal judicial code to increase the civil action filing fee in U.S. district court from $120 to $150. Modifies the allocation of filing fees to the special fund of the Treasury to be available to offset funds appropriated for the operation and maintenance of the courts of the United States. (Sec. 402) Authorizes the Director of the Administrative Office to: (1) prescribe a uniform fee for examinations for qualified interpreters; and (2) include in any contract for the development or administration of such examinations a provision permitting the contractor to collect and retain fees in payment for contractual services. (Sec. 403) Directs the Judicial Conference to periodically prescribe the fees and costs to be charged and collected by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. (Sec. 404) Sets forth provisions regarding the disposition of attorney admission fees and bankruptcy complaint filing fees. Title V: Federal Courts Study Committee Recommendations - Amends the Federal judicial code to revise bankruptcy provisions to allow a bankruptcy judge to hear a proceeding that is not a core proceeding but that is otherwise related to a case under title 11, subject to specified requirements. (Sec. 502) Requires the chief judge of the Court of International Trade to be the judge of the court in regular active service who is senior in commission of those judges who: (1) are age 64 or younger; (2) have served for one year or more as a judge of the court; and (3) have not served previously as chief judge. Sets forth provisions regarding the precedence of judges in acting as chief judge. Title VI: Places of Holding Court - Amends the Federal judicial code to: (1) direct that court for the Southern District of New York be held at New York and White Plains (as under current law) and in the Middletown-Wallkill area of Orange County or in an appropriate nearby location and that court for the Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas be held at Sherman (as under current law) and Plano; and (2) authorize the Texarkana Divisions of the Western Division of Arkansas and the Eastern Division of Texas to be held anywhere within the Federal courthouse in Texarkana that is located astride the Texas-Arkansas State line. Title VII: Miscellaneous - Modifies the Federal judicial code to authorize a member of: (1) the Judicial Conference to be a district judge retired from regular active service; and (2) the Board of the Federal Judicial Center to be a circuit or district judge retired from regular active service. (Sec. 702) Makes technical amendments relating to: (1) the Director and Deputy Director of the Administrative Office as Federal officers; (2) the filing of notice of removal of a criminal proceeding from a State court; and (3) Federal Judicial Center employee retirement provisions. (Sec. 705) Modifies the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 to abolish the judicial panel established under such Act. Transfers such panel's jurisdiction and future rail reorganization proceedings to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. (Sec. 706) Revises the Federal judicial code to: (1) make an exception to the residency requirement for district judges appointed to the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; and (2) specifically authorize the court to make available arbitration in appropriate cases with respect to civil justice expense and delay reduction plans. (Sec. 707) Extends by six months the due dates of reports under the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 on demonstration and pilot programs. (Sec. 708) Extends by one year the authorization of appropriations for arbitration under the Judicial Improvements and Access to Justice Act. (Sec. 709) Modifies the definition of "district court," for purposes of provisions regarding change of venue and cure or waiver of defects, to mean the District Courts of Guam and the Virgin Islands and for the Northern Mariana Islands.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 2 August 1996

    Introduced

    Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 2 August 1996

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 2 August 1996

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  4. 11 September 1996

    Reported

    Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

    Source: Committee

  5. 11 September 1996

    Committee

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

    Source: Committee

  6. 17 September 1996

    Passed

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

  7. 17 September 1996

    Passed

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

    Source: Floor

  8. 17 September 1996

    Passed

    Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

    Source: Floor

  9. 17 September 1996

    Floor

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate.

    Source: Floor

  10. 17 September 1996

    Floor

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H10454-10459)

    Source: Floor

  11. 17 September 1996

    Floor

    Mr. Flanagan moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

    Source: Floor

  12. 17 September 1996

    Calendars

    Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 435.

    Source: Calendars

  13. 17 September 1996

    Reported

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 104-798.

    Source: Committee

  14. 17 September 1996

    Reported

    Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 104-798.

    Source: Committee

  15. 18 September 1996

    Introduced

    Received in the Senate.

    Source: IntroReferral

  16. 4 October 1996

    Committee

    For Further Action See S.1887.

    Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

10 official files

Received in Senate (text)

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  • Received in Senate (text)

    Received in Senate · EN · 18 September 1996

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  • Received in Senate (PDF)

    Received in Senate · EN · 18 September 1996

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  • Reported in House (text)

    Reported in House · EN · 17 September 1996

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  • Reported in House (PDF)

    Reported in House · EN · 17 September 1996

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  • Engrossed in House (text)

    Engrossed in House · EN · 17 September 1996

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  • Engrossed in House (PDF)

    Engrossed in House · EN · 17 September 1996

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  • Passed House amended

    summary · EN · 17 September 1996

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  • Introduced in House (text)

    Introduced in House · EN · 2 August 1996

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  • Introduced in House (PDF)

    Introduced in House · EN · 2 August 1996

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  • Introduced in House

    summary · EN · 2 August 1996

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