Bowen, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al. v. City of New York et al.

Decided June 2, 1986. Lewis Franklin Powell Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 84-1923 · 476 U.S. 467 (1986) · Cited 2,998 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Mathews v. Eldridge · 424 U.S. 319 (1976)
• Weinberger v. Salfi · 422 U.S. 749 (1975)
• Honda v. Clark · 386 U.S. 484 (1967)
• Heckler v. Day · 467 U.S. 104 (1984)
• Block v. North Dakota Ex Rel. Board of University & School Lands · 461 U.S. 273 (1983)
• United States v. Kubrick · 444 U.S. 111 (1979)
• American Pipe & Construction Co. v. Utah · 414 U.S. 538 (1974)
• Heckler v. Campbell · 461 U.S. 458 (1983)
• McKart v. United States · 395 U.S. 185 (1969)
• Heckler v. Ringer · 466 U.S. 602 (1984)
• Order of Railroad Telegraphers v. Railway Express Agency, Inc. · 321 U.S. 342 (1944)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Smith v. Berryhill · 587 U.S. 471 (2019)
• John R. Sand & Gravel Co. v. United States · 552 U.S. 130 (2008)
• Sebelius v. Auburn Regional Medical Center · 568 U.S. 145 (2013)
• Bowen v. Yuckert · 482 U.S. 137 (1987)
• Irwin v. Department of Veterans Affairs · 498 U.S. 89 (1990)
• McCarthy v. Madigan · 503 U.S. 140 (1992)
• Lozano v. Montoya Alvarez · 572 U.S. 1 (2014)
• Wilkins v. United States · 598 U.S. 152 (2023)
• Sullivan v. Zebley · 493 U.S. 521 (1990)
• Sims v. Apfel · 530 U.S. 103 (2000)
• Henderson v. Shinseki · 562 U.S. 428 (2011)
• Shalala v. Illinois Council on Long Term Care, Inc. · 529 U.S. 1 (2000)
• International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, & Agricultural Implement Workers v. Brock · 477 U.S. 274 (1986)
• American Trucking Assns., Inc. v. Smith · 496 U.S. 167 (1990)
• Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben · 488 U.S. 105 (1988)
• Franconia Associates v. United States · 536 U.S. 129 (2002)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).