GSA warns expanded judiciary building authority would raise costs

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The General Services Administration has warned that legislation to expand the federal Judiciary's building management authority would increase costs and worsen oversight, citing Government Accountability Office reports and past performance issues.

The response targets Senator Dick Durbin's Judicial Space and Facilities Management Effectiveness Act, which would allow the federal Judiciary to assume ownership and maintenance responsibilities for courthouses in up to 10 districts.

The GSA cited multiple GAO reports documenting "persistent issues in Judiciary courthouse planning, including oversized design standards, lackluster coordination with Executive Branch partners, and construction decisions that drive unnecessarily large and expensive courthouses."

The Hugo L. Black U.S. Courthouse remains the only courthouse in the nation still maintained by the Judiciary following a 1988 pilot program. A recent GSA management assessment found "serious safety failures, accessibility deficiencies, and maintenance practices that have shortened the useful life of critical infrastructure systems."

Despite holding operations and maintenance authority since 1993, the Judiciary "has repeatedly relied on GSA's expertise to resolve routine and emergent issues, including elevator repairs, fire and life safety systems, and water-quality management," GSA said.

A 2025 GAO report found that the Judiciary-managed U.S. Courts Design Guide disregarded GSA and GAO expertise and took no action to address concerns that its standards would unnecessarily increase courthouse space and costs. An earlier 2010 GAO report found that the Judiciary could have reduced the number of courtrooms built since 2000 by approximately 40 percent.

"GSA is the best building manager in the federal government, and we're proud to support America's courts by extending our expertise to their facilities," GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said. "If Congress wants faster and cheaper building repairs, they should expand the prospectus threshold to $75 million and let GSA do its job."