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S 2854
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District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to terminate the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and for other purposes.

Introduced Sep 18, 2025

Latest action (Sep 18, 2025) Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Policy area
Law
Issues
Criminal Justice

Summary
  • Eliminates the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, which previously reviewed and recommended candidates for judicial appointments
  • Changes the process for appointing judges to D.C. courts to allow the President to nominate judges directly rather than from a list recommended by the Commission
  • Changes the process for designating chief judges from being done by the Commission to being done by the President
  • Updates the D.C. Home Rule Act to remove references to the Commission and its role in the judicial appointment process
  • Makes these changes effective for judicial appointments made on or after the date of enactment

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor

Actions (2)
  1. Sep 18, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
  2. Sep 18, 2025 Introduced in Senate

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to terminate the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act”.

SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA JUDICIAL NOMINATION COMMISSION.

(a) Termination.—The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is amended by striking section 434 (sec. 1-204.34, D.C. Official Code).

(b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Appointment of Judges.—

(1) Designation of chief judges by president.—Section 431(b) of such Act (sec. 1-204.31(b), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking “the District of Columbia Judicial Nominating Commission established by section 434” and inserting “the President”.

(2) Appointment by president.—Section 433(a) of such Act (sec. 1-204.33(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking “Except as provided in section 434(d)(1), the President shall nominate, from the list of persons recommended to him by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission established under section 434,” and inserting “The President shall nominate,”.

(3) Qualifications of judges.—Section 433(b) of such Act (sec. 1-204.33(b), D.C. Official Code) is amended—

(A) by adding “and” at the end of paragraph (3);

(B) by striking paragraph (4) and redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (4); and

(C) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by striking “or of the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission”.

(c) Other Conforming Amendment.—Section 11-1528(a)(2), District of Columbia Official Code, is amended by striking subparagraph (C).

(d) Clerical Amendment.—The table of contents of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act is amended by striking the item relating to section 434.

(e) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to appointments made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. <all>

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