National Federation of Independent Business v. Kathleen Sebelius
567 U.S. 519 · Decided June 28, 2012 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
National Federation of Independent Business v. Kathleen Sebelius was decided on June 28, 2012 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision in part and reversed or vacated it in part. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “National supremacy, miscellaneous” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 567 U.S. 519 · 132 S. Ct. 2566 · 183 L. Ed. 2d 450 · 2012 U.S. LEXIS 4876
- Docket number
- 11-393
- Decided
- June 28, 2012
- Argued
- March 26, 2012
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed and reversed (or vacated) in part
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- National supremacy, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 1 (taxing, spending, general welfare, or uniformity clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Concurrence | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Dissent | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Concurrence | |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Concurrence |
Full case caption
National Federation of Independent Business, et Al., Petitioners v. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2011-077, docket 2011-077-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “National supremacy, miscellaneous”
- United States v. Graydon Earl Comstock, Jr.
- Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic AssociationLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Georgia
- Parker Drilling Management Services, Ltd. v. Newton
- Allen v. CooperLaw held unconstitutional
- Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation v. Pamela L. Hood
Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 1 (taxing, spending, general welfare, or uniformity clause)
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- National Meat Association v. Kamala D. Harris
- Gloria Gail Kurns v. Railroad Friction Products Corporation
- Daniel Coleman v. Court of Appeals of MarylandLaw held unconstitutional
- Arizona v. United States
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