FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT JULY 20, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 14615 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C. Do c k e tNo . 0 6 - 8 0 0 4 4 - CV- KLR B A R R Y D . B A T C H E L O R , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s SOUTH FLORI DA W ATER M AN AG EM ENT D I S T R I C T , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Ju l y 20, 2007) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: B a rry D . B a tc h e lo rap p e a ls th e s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t in f a v o ro f th e S o u th2

F l ori da W at erM anagem entD i stri ctand agai nsthi s c om pl ai ntun der the se l f- ca re pr ovi s i on of

the F a m i l y M e di c a l L e a ve A c t , 29 U . S . C . § 2612( a ) ( 1) ( D ) . T he d is tr ic t c o u r t h e ld th a t th e s u it w a s b a rr e d b y th e E le v e n th A m e n d m e n t. W e a f f irm . T he i s s ue w e m us tde c i de i s w he the r , i n the l i ghtof N e va daD e pa r tm e ntof H u m a n R e s o u r c e s v . H ib b s , 5 3 8 U .S . 7 2 1 , 1 2 3 S . C t. 1 9 7 2 ( 2 0 0 3 ) , o u rh o ld in g in G a rr e tt v . U n iv e r s ity o f A lab a m aB o a r d o f

T ru s te e s , 1 9 3 F .3 d 1 2 1 4 , 1 2 1 9 ( 1 1 th C i r. 1 9 9 9 ), rev ersed i n p arto n o th er g ro u n d s, 5 3 1 U . S . 3 5 6 (2 0 0 1 ), th atC o n g ress di d notva l i dl y abr oga t e s t a t e s ove r e i gn i m m uni ty thr ough the s e l f - c a r e pr ovi s i on of the F M L A re m ai ns go od l aw . B at chel or ar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourtconstrued H i bb s t oo narr ow l y by hol di ng thatthe deci si on on l y app l i ed t o the fa m i l y- ca re prov i si on of the F M L A , 29 U . S . C . § 2 61 2(a) (1)( C ). W e a gree w i th the di stri ct c o u r t; o u rd e c is io n in G a rr e tt, 1 9 3 F .3 d a t 1 2 1 9 , is c o n tr o llin g . W e rev i ew a su m m ary j u d g m en td e n o v o . C u v i l l i er v . R o ck d al e C o u n ty, 3 9 0 F .3 d 1 3 3 6 , 1 3 3 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . S u m m a ry ju d g m e n t s h o u ld b e g r a n te d if

“ there i s no g enui ne i ss ue as t o any m at er i al fa ctand [] the m ov i ng party i s e nt i t l ed t o a j ud gm entas a m att erof l aw . ” F ed. R . C i v. P . 56 (c ). O nl y the S up re m e C ou rt o rth is C o u r t s ittin g e n b a n c c a n o v e rru le th e d e c is io n o f ap r io rp a n e l o f

th is C o u r t. U n ite d S ta te s v . M a r te , 3 5 6 F .3 d 1 3 3 6 , 1 3 4 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . U nd erthe E l eventh A m endm ent , a S t at e i s i m m un e f rom sui ti n federa l court3

w i thouti t s c ons e nt . P e nnhur s tS t a t e S c h. & H os p. v. H a l de rm a n, 465 U . S . 89, 100, 1 0 4 S . C t. 9 0 0 , 9 0 8 ( 1 9 8 4 ) . “C o n g r e s s m a y , h o w e v e r , ab r o g a te s u c h im m u n ity in f e de r a l c our ti f

i tm a ke s i t s i nt e nt i on t o abr oga t e unm i s t a kabl y c l e a ri n the l a ngua ge of

the s t a tut e a nd a c t s pur s ua ntt o ava l i d e xe r c i s e of i t s pow e runde r§ 5 of the F ou rt ee nth A m endm ent . ” H i bb s, 53 8 U . S . at72 6, 12 3 S . C t . at19 76 . In G a rr e tt , w e he l d tha tC ongr e s s w a s w i thoutauthor i ty t o abr oga t e the s ove r e i gn im m u n ity o f

th e s ta te s f

r o m c o m p la in ts u n d e rth e s e lf - c a r e p r o v is io n o f

th e F M L A . 193 F . 3d a t1219. T he S upr e m e C our t , i n H i bbs , a ddr e s s e d the author i ty of C ongr e s s t o abr oga t e s t a t e s ove r e i gn i m m uni ty f orc l a i m s a r i s i ng unde ronl y the fa m i l y- ca re prov i si on of the F M L A . 53 8 U . S . at72 5– 74 0, 12 3 S . C t . at 1 9 7 6

– 1 9 8 4 . O u rh o ld in g in G a rr e tt th a t C o n g r e s s is w ith o u t au th o r ity to ab r o g a te s t a t e s ove r e i gn i m m uni ty f orc l a i m s a r i s i ng unde rthe s e l f - c a r e pr ovi s i on of

the F M L A r e m a in s th e la w o f th is C ir c u it. S e e M a r te , 3 5 6 F .3 d a t 1 3 4 4 . T h e s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t is A F F I R M E D .