Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2379
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Law
- Status
- Passed Senate
- Latest Action
- 2025-11-20: Held at the desk.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-06T15:40:11Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act" (S. 2379) aims to improve the safety and security of state and local judges and court staff by authorizing the State Justice Institute (SJI) to fund and support the creation of a specialized resource center focused on monitoring and addressing threats to the judiciary.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: Adds a new term to the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 defining an "eligible organization" as a national nonprofit with expertise in judicial security, courthouse design, state judicial operations, and collaboration with various court systems (e.g., trial, appellate, rural, and limited-jurisdiction courts).
- Establishment of Resource Center: Authorizes the SJI to provide financial and technical support to eligible organizations to create and operate a "State judicial threat intelligence and resource center." This center must:
- Offer technical assistance and training on judicial security, including education for judges, courts, and local law enforcement; develop security guides; and conduct physical security assessments for courts, judges' homes, and related facilities.
- Monitor threats to state and local judges and court staff.
- Coordinate with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reduce risks.
- Create standardized practices for reporting incidents and evaluating threats, in partnership with law enforcement and "fusion centers" (regional hubs that share threat intelligence).
- Build a national database to report, track, and share information on threats and incidents among judicial security stakeholders, including law enforcement and fusion centers.
- Conduct research to identify and promote best practices for judicial security.
- Reporting Requirements: Within one year of the center's establishment, the SJI must submit an annual report to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees detailing the number of threats to state and local judiciary members and court staff, categorized by threat type and seriousness level.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands the SJI Act of 1984 by adding a new definition for "eligible organization" and inserting a new authorized activity (paragraph 15) into the SJI's list of grant purposes, specifically for funding the judicial threat resource center.
- Previously, the SJI focused on broader judicial improvements; this introduces a targeted focus on threat intelligence, monitoring, and a national database, which were not explicitly authorized before.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Enhances coordination among the SJI, federal/state/local law enforcement, and fusion centers, potentially streamlining threat response and resource allocation for judicial protection.
- Citizens and Judiciary: Improves safety for judges and court staff, which could reduce risks from threats (e.g., harassment or violence) and ensure smoother court operations, indirectly benefiting the public by maintaining access to judicial services.
- International Relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic state and local judiciary.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State Justice Institute (SJI): Gains new funding and reporting responsibilities.
- Eligible Nonprofits: National organizations with judicial security expertise that can receive awards to operate the resource center.
- Judges and Court Staff: State and local judiciary members who benefit from enhanced training, assessments, monitoring, and threat mitigation.
- Law Enforcement and Fusion Centers: Involved in coordination, data sharing, and implementing standardized reporting practices.
- Courts and Judicial Systems: Trial, appellate, rural, and limited-jurisdiction courts that receive security resources and best practices.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens existing federal support for state judicial systems under the SJI Act without creating new regulatory burdens; the national database raises minor privacy considerations for threat data but is limited to security-focused sharing among authorized entities.
- Constitutional: Supports judicial independence (a core principle under Article III) by protecting judges from threats, potentially reducing intimidation that could affect fair rulings; no apparent conflicts with federalism, as it aids state-level operations voluntarily.
- Political: Addresses rising concerns about judicial safety amid increasing threats, promoting bipartisan interest in rule-of-law protections; the annual congressional reports ensure oversight and accountability for federal funding use.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (11)
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS], Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO], Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI], Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH], Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY], Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA], Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM], Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD], Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN], Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
Recent Actions
- 2025-11-20: Held at the desk.
- 2025-11-20: Received in the House.
- 2025-11-20: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- 2025-11-20: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8398-8399; text: CR S8398-8399)
- 2025-11-20: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-11-20: Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-11-20: Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- 2025-07-22: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act — issued 2025-11-20 — PDF (6 pages)
- Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act — issued 2025-07-22 — PDF (5 pages)