The District of Columbia and Sharon Pratt Kelly, Mayor v. the Greater Washington Board of Trade (506 U.S. 125)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided December 14, 1992 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 506 U.S. 125 · 113 S. Ct. 580
- Decided
- December 14, 1992
- Term
- October Term 1992
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority author
- Justice Thomas
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court. The District of Columbia requires employers who provide health insurance for their employees to provide equivalent health insurance coverage for injured employees eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. We hold that this requirement is pre-empted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 88 Stat. 829, as amended, 29 U. S. C. § 1001 et seq. (1982 ed. and Supp. II). J-H ERISA sets out a comprehensive system for the federal regulation of private employee benefit plans, including both pension plans and welfare plans. A “welfare plan” is defined in §3 of ERISA to include, inter alia, any “plan, fund, or program” maintained for the purpose of providing medical or other health benefits for employees or their beneficiaries “through the purchase of insurance or otherwise.” §3(1), 29 U. S. C. § 1002(1). Section 4 defines the broad scope of ERISA coverage. Subject to certain exemptions, ERISA applies generally to all employee benefit plans sponsored by an employer or employee organization. § 4(a), 29 U. S. C. § 1003(a). Among the plans exempt from ERISA coverage under § 4(b) are those “maintained solely for the purpose of complying with applicable workmen’s compensation laws or unemployment compensation or disability insurance laws.” § 4(b)(3), 29 U. S. C. § 1003(b)(3). ERISA’s pre-emption provision assures…
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