State of New York et al. v. Department of Health and Human Services et al.

Docket No.
1:26-cv-00022
District Court
Rhode Island

Goal

  • Block enforcement of an agency action
  • Declaration that agency action is unlawful
  • Vacate agency action

Issues

Why This Matters:

The plaintiffs allege that the Department of Health and Human Services’ conditioning of federal funding on compliance with vague conditions related to “gender ideology” violates the Administrative Procedure Act, Separation of Powers, and the Spending Clause. The required conditions would jeopardize funding for public health, research, and education.     

Potential Impact:

Conditioning state funding on vague notions of “gender ideology” will delay scientific advancement and exacerbate health disparities.

2 Major Filings

Related Litigation

Current Status

Briefing is ongoing

Legal Issues

Administrative Procedure Act - Arbitrary and Capricious, Administrative Procedure Act - Without Observance of Procedure Required by Law, Administrative Procedure Act - Contrary to Law, Administrative Procedure Act - Lack of Statutory Authority, Administrative Procedure Act - Contrary to Constitutional Right, Separation of Powers, Spending Clause

Topic(s)

Funding Termination/Cuts

Date Filed
January 13, 2026
Case Type
Civil
Court Type
District Court
Court
Rhode Island
Judge
DuBose, Melissa R. Appointed By: Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Plaintiff(s)
State of New York; State of Oregon; State of California; State of Colorado; State of Delaware; State of Illinois; State of Michigan; State of Minnesota; State of Nevada; State of New Mexico; State of Rhode Island; State of Vermont; State of Washington
Lead Counsel For Plaintiff(s)
Government
Defendant(s)
Department of Health and Human Services; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Mehmet Oz; Health Resources and Services Administration; Thomas J. Engels; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Christopher Carroll
Lead Counsel for Defendant(s)
Government