District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025
What does the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025 do?
HR 5125 is a House bill sponsored by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX-17). Terminates the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission by striking section 434 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1-204.34, D.C. Official Code). Conforming amendments to section 431(b) hand designation of chief judges to the President, section 433(a) removes the President's obligation to nominate from a Commission list, section 433(b) drops Commission-service credit from the judicial qualifications, and section 11-1528(a)(2) of the D.C. Official Code strikes subparagraph (C). The amendments apply to appointments made on or after the date of enactment.
Did HR 5125 pass? Where it stands
As of July 17, 2026, HR 5125 has passed the House.
Status: Passed House
Latest vote: House Passed 218–211 on September 17, 2025
Outlook: Moderate
Key provisions
- Commission Terminated
- Amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act by striking section 434 (sec. 1-204.34, D.C. Official Code)
- Table of contents updated to strike the item for section 434
- President-Only Chief-Judge Designation and Nominations
- Section 431(b): "the District of Columbia Judicial Nominating Commission established by section 434" replaced with "the President"
- Section 433(a): the President-shall-nominate-from-a-Commission-list clause is replaced with "The President shall nominate,"
- Qualifications and Cross-Reference Cleanup
- Section 433(b): paragraph (4) struck, paragraph (5) redesignated as (4); phrase "or of the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission" struck from the redesignated paragraph (4)
- Section 11-1528(a)(2), D.C. Official Code: subparagraph (C) struck
- Applies to appointments made on or after enactment
Last updated July 15, 2026