S. 2379: Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act

Introduced Jul 22, 202511 cosponsors

Sponsor

John Cornyn

Republican · TX

Judges need protection beyond the courthouse

4 min readLast updated October 20, 2026

Why it matters

Threats against judges do not stop at the courthouse door. S. 2379 would back one national resource center to help State and local courts track threats, assess home and courthouse security, and give Congress yearly data on how serious the problem is.

S. 2379 would help State and local judges and court staff get security support before threats turn into attacks.

The bill lets the State Justice Institute support a national nonprofit with the right security and court-system experience to run a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center. That center would train judges, courts, and local police; create security guides; and conduct physical security assessments for courthouses, homes, and other work sites.

It would also build a national system for reporting and tracking threats against State and local judicial officers and court staff. That includes shared threat information, standardized reporting practices, and coordination with Federal, State, and local law enforcement plus fusion centers.

Instead of each court handling threats on its own, the bill creates one national hub for training, threat data, and security coordination.

The bill also requires annual reporting to Congress once the center is up and running. Within 1 year of the center being established, the State Justice Institute would have to report the number of threats, the types of threats, and how serious they were.

Bill Progress

IntroducedJul 22

Committee

Pass SenateNov 20

Pass House

Signed

Law

Latest Action · Nov 20, 2025

1/3

Passed the Senate, received in House

S. 2379 Bill Summary

What S. 2379 actually does.

One national center helps courts respond to threats

The State Justice Institute could support an eligible national nonprofit to establish and operate a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center focused on State and local courts.

Home and courthouse security assessments become available

The center could provide physical security assessments for courthouses, judges' homes, and other places where judicial officers and court staff do court-related work.

Judges, courts, and local police get safety training

The center would provide judicial safety education and training for judicial officers, courts, and local law enforcement, along with practical security guides and resources.

Threats get tracked in one national database

The bill requires a national database for reporting, tracking, and sharing information about threats and incidents involving State and local judicial officers and court staff.

Courts would use more standardized threat reporting

The center would develop incident reporting and threat evaluation practices in coordination with State and local law enforcement and fusion centers.

Congress gets yearly threat data

Within 1 year after the center is established, the State Justice Institute would have to begin annual reports to Congress covering the number of threats, their types, and their seriousness.

Who benefits from S. 2379?

State and local judges facing threats at work and at home

They could get safety training, security guides, and physical security assessments for both courthouses and homes instead of relying only on local ad hoc support.

Court staff who are also targeted

S. 2379 explicitly includes court staff in threat monitoring, the national database, and the annual reports to Congress.

Rural and limited-jurisdiction courts

The bill requires experience with rural, trial, appellate, and limited-jurisdiction courts, which is meant to keep the program from being designed only around large urban systems.

Local law enforcement responding to courthouse threats

Police and fusion centers would get a clearer channel for sharing threat information and more standardized practices for evaluating incidents tied to judges and court staff.

Who is affected by S. 2379?

The State Justice Institute

It would oversee support for the center and start annual reporting to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees after the center is established.

National nonprofits competing to run the center

Only a national nonprofit that meets all 4 eligibility standards could receive support, which narrows the pool to groups with deep court-security and courthouse-design experience.

State and local courts

Courts would be asked to plug into standardized reporting, threat evaluation, and information-sharing practices instead of handling each incident entirely on their own.

Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies

These agencies would be expected to coordinate with the center to mitigate threats and share information connected to judicial security.

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On the Record

What Congress Is Saying

S. 2379 has come up 9 times in the Congressional Record so far.

S. 2379 also appeared in 1 more Senate floor reference and 5 routine cosponsor filings.

S2379 Legislative Journey

2 actions

Passed 8398-8399

Nov 20, 2025

8398-8399

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8398-8399; text: CR S8398-8399)

+6 more actions this day

Committee Action

Jul 22, 2025

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

About the Sponsor

John Cornyn

Republican, TX · 24 years in Congress

Committees: United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, Finance, the Judiciary

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Cosponsors (11)

No new cosponsors in 371 days — momentum stalled

This bill has 11 cosponsors: 6 Democrats, 5 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 11 states: Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, and 8 more.

6Democrats5Republicans·11 statesBipartisan

Christopher Coons

Democrat · DE

Jerry Moran

Republican · KS

Josh Hawley

Republican · MO

Sheldon Whitehouse

Democrat · RI

Jeanne Shaheen

Democrat · NH

John Barrasso

Republican · WY

Raphael Warnock

Democrat · GA

Ben Luján

Democrat · NM

Mike Rounds

Republican · SD

Todd Young

Republican · IN

Mark Kelly

Democrat · AZ

Committee Sponsors

Judiciary Committee

10D11R

|3 signed18 not yet

3 of 21 committee members cosponsored

Christopher Coons

Josh Hawley

Sheldon Whitehouse

10 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents

S. 2379 Quick Facts

Cosponsors

+6 more

Committee: Judiciary
Chamber: Senate
Policy: Law
Introduced: Jul 22, 2025

Passed the Senate, received in House

Nov 20, 2025

Constituent Resources

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Get notified when this bill moves

Official Sources

S. 2379 on Congress.gov

Official legislative page for the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, including text, actions, and sponsors.

State Justice Institute Act of 1984 in the U.S. Code

Official U.S. Code page for the chapter containing the State Justice Institute Act provisions the bill would amend, including 42 U.S.C. 10701 and 10705.

Department of Homeland Security Fusion Centers

The bill specifically calls for coordination with fusion centers in threat evaluation, reporting, and information sharing.

CISA Physical Security

Official federal guidance on physical security that is relevant to the bill’s courthouse, home, and workplace security assessment provisions.

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S. 2379 Common Questions

Would S. 2379 help protect judges at home?

Yes. The bill allows security assessments for courthouses, judges' homes, and other places where judicial officers and court staff do court-related work.

Does S. 2379 create a national database of threats?

Yes. S. 2379 requires a national database to report, track, and share information about threats and incidents involving State and local judicial officers and court staff.

Who would run the judicial threat center under S. 2379?

A national nonprofit would run it, but only if it has experience in judicial security, courthouse design, court operations, and a wide range of court systems, including rural courts.

Does the bill cover court staff or only judges?

It covers both. S. 2379 repeatedly includes State and local judges and court staff in threat monitoring, data sharing, and annual reporting.

Would local police be involved under S. 2379?

Yes. The bill calls for coordination with Federal, State, and local law enforcement and includes training for local law enforcement tied to judicial security.

When would Congress get the first threat report?

Within 1 year after the resource center is established. The report must cover the number of threats, the types of threats, and how serious they were.

Does S. 2379 include rural and smaller courts?

Yes. The bill says the nonprofit running the center must understand the challenges facing trial courts, appellate courts, rural courts, and limited-jurisdiction courts.

Based on S. 2379 bill text

S. 2379 Bill Text

“To amend the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 to authorize the State Justice Institute to provide awards to certain organizations to establish a State judicial threat intelligence and resource center.”

Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office