Harris, Secretary of Health and Human Services v. McRae et al.

Decided June 30, 1980. Potter Stewart delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 79-1268 · 448 U.S. 297 (1980) · Cited 1,702 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 5–4.

“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.

• Roe v. Wade · 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
• Maher v. Roe · 432 U.S. 464 (1977)
• Beal v. Doe · 432 U.S. 438 (1977)
• McGowan v. Maryland · 366 U.S. 420 (1961)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• Craig v. Boren · 429 U.S. 190 (1976)
• Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth · 428 U.S. 52 (1976)
• Singleton v. Wulff · 428 U.S. 106 (1976)
• Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez · 411 U.S. 1 (1973)
• West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette · 319 U.S. 624 (1943)
• Doe v. Bolton · 410 U.S. 179 (1973)
• Poelker v. Doe · 432 U.S. 519 (1977)
• Reynolds v. Sims · 377 U.S. 533 (1964)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. · 348 U.S. 483 (1955)
• Massachusetts Board of Retirement v. Murgia · 427 U.S. 307 (1976)
• Bellotti v. Baird · 443 U.S. 622 (1979)
• Memorial Hospital v. Maricopa County · 415 U.S. 250 (1974)
• Warth v. Seldin · 422 U.S. 490 (1975)
• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Broadrick v. Oklahoma · 413 U.S. 601 (1973)
• Griswold v. Connecticut · 381 U.S. 479 (1965)
• Hunt v. Washington State Apple Advertising Commission · 432 U.S. 333 (1977)
• Brown v. Board of Education · 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
• O'Shea v. Littleton · 414 U.S. 488 (1974)
• Washington v. Davis · 426 U.S. 229 (1976)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Prince v. Massachusetts · 321 U.S. 158 (1944)
• Personnel Administrator of Mass. v. Feeney · 442 U.S. 256 (1979)

Cited by

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

• Webster v. Reproductive Health Services · 492 U.S. 490 (1989)
• Rust v. Sullivan · 500 U.S. 173 (1991)
• City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. · 462 U.S. 416 (1983)
• H. L. v. Matheson · 450 U.S. 398 (1981)
• Pennhurst State School and Hospital v. Halderman · 451 U.S. 1 (1981)
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey · 505 U.S. 833 (1992)
• Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic · 506 U.S. 263 (1993)
• Regan v. Taxation With Representation of Washington · 461 U.S. 540 (1983)
• Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists · 476 U.S. 747 (1986)
• DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services · 489 U.S. 189 (1989)
• Edwards v. Aguillard · 482 U.S. 578 (1987)
• National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius · 567 U.S. 519 (2012)
• Marsh v. Chambers · 463 U.S. 783 (1983)
• Bowen v. Kendrick · 487 U.S. 589 (1988)
• Lyng v. International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, & Agricultural Implement Workers · 485 U.S. 360 (1988)
• Hodgson v. Minnesota · 497 U.S. 417 (1990)
• Schweiker v. Hogan · 457 U.S. 569 (1982)
• United States v. American Library Assn., Inc. · 539 U.S. 194 (2003)
• American Legion v. American Humanist Assn. · 588 U.S. 29 (2019)
• Lewis v. Casey · 518 U.S. 343 (1996)
• Youngberg v. Romeo Ex Rel. Romeo · 457 U.S. 307 (1982)
• Bowen v. Massachusetts · 487 U.S. 879 (1988)
• Alexander v. Choate · 469 U.S. 287 (1985)
• United States v. Lee · 455 U.S. 252 (1982)
• Bob Jones University v. United States · 461 U.S. 574 (1983)
• Schweiker v. Wilson · 450 U.S. 221 (1981)
• Schweiker v. Gray Panthers · 453 U.S. 34 (1981)
• Crawford v. Marion County Election Board · 553 U.S. 181 (2008)
• Stenberg v. Carhart · 530 U.S. 914 (2000)
• Arkansas Writers' Project, Inc. v. Ragland · 481 U.S. 221 (1987)

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).