Employees of the Department of Public Health and Welfare of Missouri et al. v. Department of Public Health and Welfare of Missouri et al.

Decided April 18, 1973. William Orville Douglas delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 71-1021 · 411 U.S. 279 (1973) · Cited 656 times

Holding

Although amendments to the FLSA in 1966 extended statutory coverage to state employees, the legislative history discloses no congressional purpose to deprive a State of its constitutional immunity to suit in federal forum by employees of its nonprofit institutions, particularly since Congress made no change in 16(b), which makes no reference to suits by employees against the State.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 8–1.

“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.

• Parden v. Terminal Railway of Alabama State Docks Department · 377 U.S. 184 (1964)
• Maryland v. Wirtz · 392 U.S. 183 (1968)
• Cohens v. Virginia · 19 U.S. 264 (1821)
• A. B. Kirschbaum Co. v. Walling · 316 U.S. 517 (1942)
• Ex Parte State of New York, No. 1 · 256 U.S. 490 (1921)
• Petty v. Tennessee-Missouri Bridge Commission · 359 U.S. 275 (1959)
• Brooklyn Savings Bank v. O'Neil · 324 U.S. 697 (1945)
• Testa v. Katt · 330 U.S. 386 (1947)
• United States v. California · 297 U.S. 175 (1936)
• Kawananakoa v. Polyblank · 205 U.S. 349 (1907)
• Johnson v. Zerbst · 304 U.S. 458 (1938)
• Fay v. Noia · 372 U.S. 391 (1963)
• Larson v. Domestic and Foreign Commerce Corp. · 337 U.S. 682 (1949)
• Marchetti v. United States · 390 U.S. 39 (1968)
• United States v. Darby · 312 U.S. 100 (1941)
• Perez v. Ledesma · 401 U.S. 82 (1971)
• Overnight Motor Transportation Co. v. Missel · 316 U.S. 572 (1942)
• Bank of Columbia v. Okely · 17 U.S. 122 (1819)
• D. H. Overmyer Co., Inc. of Ohio v. Frick Co. · 405 U.S. 174 (1972)
• Keifer & Keifer v. Reconstruction Finance Corp. · 306 U.S. 381 (1939)
• Markham v. Cabell · 326 U.S. 404 (1946)
• Great Northern Life Insurance Co. v. Read · 322 U.S. 47 (1944)
• United States v. Mississippi · 380 U.S. 128 (1965)
• Principality of Monaco v. Mississippi · 292 U.S. 313 (1934)
• Smith v. Reeves · 178 U.S. 436 (1900)
• Fitts v. McGhee · 172 U.S. 516 (1899)
• General Oil Co. v. Crain · 209 U.S. 211 (1908)
• Missouri v. Fiske · 290 U.S. 18 (1933)
• United States v. Texas · 143 U.S. 621 (1892)
• United States v. North Carolina · 136 U.S. 211 (1890)

Cited by

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

• Pennsylvania v. Union Gas Co. · 491 U.S. 1 (1989)
• Hutto v. Finney · 437 U.S. 678 (1978)
• Quern v. Jordan · 440 U.S. 332 (1979)
• College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board · 527 U.S. 666 (1999)
• Department of Agriculture Rural Development Rural Housing Service v. Kirtz · 601 U.S. 42 (2024)
• Atascadero State Hospital v. Scanlon · 473 U.S. 234 (1985)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 465 U.S. 89 (1984)
• Welch v. Texas Department of Highways & Public Transportation · 483 U.S. 468 (1987)
• Edelman v. Jordan · 415 U.S. 651 (1974)
• Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents · 528 U.S. 62 (2000)
• Fitzpatrick v. Bitzer · 427 U.S. 445 (1976)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 451 U.S. 1 (1981)
• National League of Cities v. Usery · 426 U.S. 833 (1976)
• Countyof Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of NY · 470 U.S. 226 (1985)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. v. Feeney · 495 U.S. 299 (1990)
• Florida Department of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc. · 458 U.S. 670 (1982)
• Will v. Michigan Department of State Police · 491 U.S. 58 (1989)
• Schneckloth v. Bustamonte · 412 U.S. 218 (1973)
• Alden v. Maine · 527 U.S. 706 (1999)
• Patsy v. Board of Regents of Fla. · 457 U.S. 496 (1982)
• Missouri v. Jenkins Ex Rel. Agyei · 491 U.S. 274 (1989)
• Lapides v. Board of Regents of Univ. System of Ga. · 535 U.S. 613 (2002)
• Wisconsin Department of Corrections v. Schacht · 524 U.S. 381 (1998)
• Maher v. Gagne · 448 U.S. 122 (1980)
• Blatchford v. Native Village of Noatak · 501 U.S. 775 (1991)
• Dellmuth v. Muth · 491 U.S. 223 (1989)
• Hoffman v. Connecticut Department of Income Maintenance · 492 U.S. 96 (1989)
• Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation v. Hood · 541 U.S. 440 (2004)

Official text

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

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1973). 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).