Judicial Amendments Act of 1994
Public Law 103-420 · S. 2407 · 103rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 25, 1994 · Law
Sponsor: Sen. Howell Heflin (D-AL)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Joseph Biden, Sen. Orrin Hatch,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Judicial Amendments Act of 1994 - Amends the Federal judicial code to make moneys in the Judiciary Automation Fund available to the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts for: (1) the procurement of automatic data processing equipment (equipment) for program activities included in the courts of appeals, district courts, and other judicial services account of the judicial branch; and (2) support personnel in the courts and in the Administrative Office. Authorizes all agencies of the judiciary to make deposits into the Fund.
Requires the Director to develop and annually revise a long range plan for meeting the equipment needs of the activities funded, including an annual estimate of certain fees that may be collected under the Judiciary Appropriations Act, 1991. Provides for the deposit into the Fund of such fees.
Requires the Director's annual report to the Congress on the operation of the Fund to include: (1) the specific actions taken and progress made to improve the plan developed, the long range automation plan, and the strategic business plan; and (2) a comparison of planned and actual Fund expenditures and accomplishments and reasons for any delays in scheduled systems development or budget overruns.
Authorizes the Director to transfer amounts up to $1 million from the Fund into the account to which the Funds were originally appropriated, with amounts in excess of that sum in any fiscal year permitted to be transferred only by following specified reprogramming procedures.
Requires the Director to: (1) develop an overall strategic business plan which would identify the judiciary's missions, goals, and objectives, and a long range automation plan based on the strategic business plan and user needs assessments; (2) establish effective Administrative Office oversight of court automation efforts; (3) expedited efforts to complete the development and implementation of life cycle management standards; (4) utilize the standards in developing the next generation of case management and financial systems; and (5) assess the current utilization and future user requirements of the data communications network.
Amends: (1) the Judicial Improvements and Access to Justice Act to authorize appropriations for court arbitration; and (2) the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 to extend civil justice expense and delay reduction pilot programs.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Oct 25, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-420.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 17, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 7, 1994FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Brooks asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 21, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Aug 19, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Aug 18, 1994FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Voice Vote.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.