California v. Texas

Summary

The Supreme Court held that none of the plaintiffs has Article III standing to challenge the Affordable Care Act's minimum essential coverage provision, 26 U.S.C. §5000A(a), because neither the individual plaintiffs' insurance-premium costs nor the State plaintiffs' alleged enrollment and administrative expenses are fairly traceable to any actual or threatened enforcement of a provision whose penalty Congress zeroed out, and declaratory relief alone cannot redress their injuries. Resolving the case on standing alone, the Court did not reach the constitutionality of the mandate or severability, reversing the Fifth Circuit, vacating its judgment, and remanding with instructions to dismiss. Justice Breyer delivered the opinion of the Court; Justice Thomas concurred, and Justice Alito, joined by Justice Gorsuch, dissented on the ground that the States have standing and the mandate is unconstitutional and inseverable from the provisions burdening them.