Bowen v. American Hospital Association
476 U.S. 610 · Decided June 9, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Bowen v. American Hospital Association was decided on June 9, 1986 by a vote of 5–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of handicapped persons” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 476 U.S. 610 · 106 S. Ct. 2101 · 90 L. Ed. 2d 584 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 87
- Docket number
- 84-1529
- Decided
- June 9, 1986
- Argued
- January 15, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of handicapped persons
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Rehabilitation Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Judgment of the Court | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: William H. Rehnquist.
Full case caption
Bowen, Secretary of Health and Human Services v. American Hospital Association et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-101, docket 1985-101-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of handicapped persons”
- Bowen v. City of New York
- United States Department of Transportation v. Paralyzed Veterans of America
- School Board of Nassau County v. Arline
- School Committee of the Town of Burlington v. Department of Education of Massachusetts
- Alexander v. Choate
- Honig v. Doe
Cases on the same legal provision: Rehabilitation Act
- Smith v. Robinson
- Consolidated Rail Corporation v. Darrone
- Community Television of Southern California v. Gottfried
- Southeastern Community College v. Davis
- James Griffin Lane v. Federico F. Pena
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- California State Board of Equalization v. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
- Green v. Mansour
- Vasquez v. Hillery
- Daniels v. WilliamsAltered precedent
- Davidson v. Cannon
- Malley v. Briggs
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error