Fitzpatrick et al. v. Bitzer, Chairman, State Employees' Retirement Commission et al.

Decided June 28, 1976. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 75-251 · 427 U.S. 445 (1976) · Cited 1,679 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.

• Edelman v. Jordan · 415 U.S. 651 (1974)
• Employees of Department of Public Health v. Department of Public Health · 411 U.S. 279 (1973)
• Parden v. Terminal Railway of Alabama State Docks Department · 377 U.S. 184 (1964)
• Oregon v. Mitchell · 400 U.S. 112 (1970)
• Ex Parte Virginia · 100 U.S. 339 (1880)
• Ford Motor Co. v. Department of Treasury · 323 U.S. 459 (1945)
• Katzenbach v. Morgan · 384 U.S. 641 (1966)
• Monroe v. Pape · 365 U.S. 167 (1961)
• Cohens v. Virginia · 19 U.S. 264 (1821)
• National League of Cities v. Usery · 426 U.S. 833 (1976)
• Mitchum v. Foster · 407 U.S. 225 (1972)
• South Carolina v. Katzenbach · 383 U.S. 301 (1966)

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)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs · 538 U.S. 721 (2003)
• Welch v. Texas Department of Highways & Public Transportation · 483 U.S. 468 (1987)
• City of Rome v. United States · 446 U.S. 156 (1980)
• Allen v. Cooper · 589 U.S. 248 (2020)
• Atascadero State Hospital v. Scanlon · 473 U.S. 234 (1985)
• College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board · 527 U.S. 666 (1999)
• Will v. Michigan Department of State Police · 491 U.S. 58 (1989)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 465 U.S. 89 (1984)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 451 U.S. 1 (1981)
• Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank · 527 U.S. 627 (1999)
• PennEast Pipeline Co. v. New Jersey · 594 U.S. 482 (2021)
• Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs. · 436 U.S. 658 (1978)
• Board of Trustees of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett · 531 U.S. 356 (2001)
• Alden v. Maine · 527 U.S. 706 (1999)
• Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents · 528 U.S. 62 (2000)
• Missouri v. Jenkins Ex Rel. Agyei · 491 U.S. 274 (1989)
• Gregory v. Ashcroft · 501 U.S. 452 (1991)
• Milliken v. Bradley · 433 U.S. 267 (1977)
• Tennessee v. Lane · 541 U.S. 509 (2004)
• United States v. Georgia · 546 U.S. 151 (2006)
• Florida Department of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc. · 458 U.S. 670 (1982)
• Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety · 597 U.S. 580 (2022)
• Trump v. Anderson · 601 U.S. 100 (2024)
• Hensley v. Eckerhart · 461 U.S. 424 (1983)
• Coleman v. Thompson · 501 U.S. 722 (1991)
• Owen v. City of Independence · 445 U.S. 622 (1980)

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).