New law clears way for federal courthouse in College Station

In a bill sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, Congress has designated the City of College Station as the next site for a federal courthouse. The Local Access to Courts Act (LACA) now heads to the president’s desk for final approval. 

The act amends Section 124(b)(2) of Title 28 of the United States Code for the organization of Texas district courts. The alteration sets up the Houston Division of the state to hold court in both Houston and College Station. 

Texas is currently split among four judicial districts, comprising the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. College Station’s selection will create a new division within the Southern District consisting of Fayette, Austin, Waller, Walker, Grimes, Madison and Brazos counties. 

Local residents have been forced to travel to Houston for years for federal jury duty – a responsibility that weighed heavily on residents’ finances, capabilities and physical well-being. However, with College Station taking up a spot as a rising star in Texas after ranking among the Top 25 places to live in America and growing its population by more than 34 percent since 2010, receiving a federal courthouse has seemed like the next logical step. 

With the designation in place, federal officials will soon visit the city to scope both temporary and permanent locations for the court building. The city anticipates that the Southern District of Texas chief judge will visit soon to examine prospective sites. College Station Mayor John Nichols has reportedly compiled a tentative list of properties. 

While the chief judge will be able to recommend courthouse locations, the final temporary and permanent sites must first receive the General Services Administration’s (GSA) approval. It’s estimated that the permanent location may be selected within a year’s time, though the building itself is still years away from completion.

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