[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 31, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA:
  S. 1771. A bill to authorize additional district judges for the 
district court for the eastern district of California; to the Committee 
on the Judiciary.
  Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the CASELOAD Act of 
2023.
  This legislation would address the critical need for additional 
judges in California's Eastern District, which faces disproportionately 
high workloads and significant litigation backlogs.
  This legislation would add five new judges to the Eastern District of 
California over the next 4 years to increase that court's capacity to 
address the needs of its roughly 8.4 million citizens.
  The bill adds the judges in three tranches. Two judges would be added 
in 2025, one judge would be added in 2027, and two would be added in 
2029.
  It also would authorize the funds necessary for the additional 
positions.
  The Eastern District of California encompasses 34 counties and has 
roughly 8\1/2\ million residents. Despite this massive geographic size 
and population, the Eastern District has only six permanent judgeships 
and has not added a permanent seat since 1978.
  The judges of the Eastern District face a staggering caseload. The 
total pending cases per judge as of June 2022 was 1,308, over 2\1/2\ 
the national average for districts.
  The people of the Eastern District, as well as the hard-working 
judicial officers who serve them, would greatly benefit from the 
additional judgeships that this bill would add.
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