Federal Courts Improvement Act of 2000

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.—This Act may be cited as the “Federal Courts Improvement Act of 2000”.

(b) Table of Contents.—The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1.	Short title and table of contents.
TITLE I—JUDICIAL FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 101.	Extension of Judiciary Information Technology Fund.
Sec. 102.	Disposition of miscellaneous fees.
Sec. 103.	Increase in chapter 9 bankruptcy filing fee.
Sec. 104.	Increase in fee for converting a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy case to a chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
Sec. 105.	Bankruptcy fees.
TITLE II—JUDICIAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS
Sec. 201.	Extension of statutory authority for magistrate judge positions to be established in the district courts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Sec. 202.	Magistrate judge contempt authority.
Sec. 203.	Consent to magistrate judge authority in petty offense cases and magistrate judge authority in misdemeanor cases involving juvenile defendants.
Sec. 204.	Savings and loan data reporting requirements.
Sec. 205.	Membership in circuit judicial councils.
Sec. 206.	Sunset of civil justice expense and delay reduction plans.
Sec. 207.	Repeal of Court of Federal Claims filing fee.
Sec. 208.	Technical bankruptcy correction.
Sec. 209.	Technical amendment relating to the treatment of certain bankruptcy fees collected.
Sec. 210.	Maximum amounts of compensation for attorneys.
Sec. 211.	Reimbursement of expenses in defense of certain malpractice actions.
TITLE III—JUDICIAL PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION, BENEFITS, AND PROTECTIONS
Sec. 301.	Judicial administrative officials retirement matters.
Sec. 302.	Applicability of leave provisions to employees of the Sentencing Commission.
Sec. 303.	Payments to military survivors benefits plan.
Sec. 304.	Creation of certifying officers in the judicial branch.
Sec. 305.	Amendment to the jury selection process.
Sec. 306.	Authorization of a circuit executive for the Federal circuit.
Sec. 307.	Residence of retired judges.
Sec. 308.	Recall of judges on disability status.
Sec. 309.	Personnel application and insurance programs relating to judges of the Court of Federal Claims.

[114 Stat. 2411–2414 omitted (4 pages)]

SEC. 208. TECHNICAL BANKRUPTCY CORRECTION.

Section 1228 of title 11, United States Code, is amended by striking “1222(b)(10)” each place it appears and inserting “1222(b)(9)”.

SEC. 209. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT RELATING TO THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN BANKRUPTCY FEES COLLECTED.

(a) Amendment.—The first sentence of section 406(b) of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1990 (Public Law 101-162; 103 Stat. 1016; 28 U.S.C. 1931 note) is amended by striking “service enumerated after item 18” and inserting “service not of a kind described in any of the items enumerated as items 1 through 7 and as items 9 through 18, as in effect on November 21, 1989,”.

(b) Application of Amendment.—The amendment made by subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to fees collected before the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 210. MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF COMPENSATION FOR ATTORNEYS.

Section 3006A(d)(2) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in the first sentence—

(A) by striking “$3,500” and inserting “$5,200”; and

(B) by striking “$1,000” and inserting “$1,500”;

(2) in the second sentence by striking “$2,500” and inserting “$3,700”;

(3) in the third sentence—

(A) by striking “$750” and inserting “$1,200”; and

(B) by striking “$2,500” and inserting “$3,900”;

(4) by inserting after the second sentence the following: “For representation of a petitioner in a non-capital habeas corpus proceeding, the compensation for each attorney shall not exceed the amount applicable to a felony in this paragraph for representation of a defendant before a judicial officer of the district court. For representation of such petitioner in an appellate court, the compensation for each attorney shall not exceed the amount applicable for representation of a defendant in an appellate court.”; and

(5) in the last sentence by striking “$750” and inserting “$1,200”.

SEC. 211. REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES IN DEFENSE OF CERTAIN MALPRACTICE ACTIONS.

Section 3006A(d)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the last sentence and inserting “Attorneys may be reimbursed for expenses reasonably incurred, including the costs of transcripts authorized by the United States magistrate or the court, and the costs of defending actions alleging malpractice of counsel in furnishing representational services under this section. No reimbursement for expenses in defending against malpractice claims shall be made if a judgment of malpractice is rendered against the counsel furnishing representational services under this section. The United States magistrate or the court shall make determinations relating to reimbursement of expenses under this paragraph.”.

[114 Stat. 2416–2421 omitted (6 pages)]

(1) in subparagraph (A), in the matter following clause (ii), by striking “or October 1, 2002, whichever occurs first,”; and

(2) in subparagraph (F)—

(A) in clause (i)—

(i) in subclause (II), by striking “or October 1, 2002, whichever occurs first”; and

(ii) in the matter following subclause (II)—

(I) by striking “October 1, 2003, or”; and

(II) by striking “, whichever occurs first”; and

(B) in clause (ii), in the matter following subclause (II)—

(i) by striking “October 1, 2003, or”; and

(ii) by striking “, whichever occurs first”.

SEC. 502. ADDITIONAL PLACE OF HOLDING COURT IN THE DISTRICT OF OREGON.

Section 117 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking “Eugene” and inserting “Eugene or Springfield”.

Approved November 13, 2000.