Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/09pdf/08-1529.pdf
Page Number: 8

Cite as:  559 U. S. ____ (2010) 

5 

Opinion of the Court 

in  which  the  violation  occurred.    After  further  concluding
that  no  special  factors  militate  against  finding  a  remedy 
available  in  these  circumstances,  the  court  held  that 
respondents’ Bivens action could proceed.

As  the  Ninth  Circuit  recognized,  its  holding  conflicts
with  the  Second  Circuit’s  decision  in  Cuoco  v.  Moritsugu, 
222  F. 3d  99  (2000),  which  construed  §233(a)  to  foreclose 
Bivens actions against PHS personnel.  We granted certio-
rari to resolve this conflict.  557 U. S. ___ (2009). 

II 

A 

Our inquiry in this case begins and ends with the text of 
§233(a).  See  Harris  Trust  and  Sav.  Bank  v.  Salomon 
Smith Barney Inc., 530 U. S. 238, 254 (2000).  The statute 
provides in pertinent part that: 

“[t]he  remedy  against  the  United  States  provided  by 
sections  1346(b)  and  2672  of  title  28  . . .  for  damage
for  personal  injury,  including  death,  resulting  from
the  performance  of  medical,  surgical,  dental,  or  re-
lated functions, including the conduct of clinical stud-
ies  or  investigation,  by  any  commissioned  officer  or
employee  of  the  Public  Health  Service  while  acting 
within the scope of his office or employment, shall be 
exclusive of any other civil action or proceeding by rea-
son  of  the  same  subject-matter  against  the  officer  or 
employee  (or  his  estate)  whose  act  or  omission  gave 
rise to the claim.”  §233(a) (emphasis added). 

Section  233(a)  grants  absolute  immunity  to  PHS  officers 
and  employees  for  actions  arising  out  of  the  performance 
of  medical  or  related  functions  within  the  scope  of  their 
employment  by  barring  all  actions  against  them  for  such
conduct.  By  its  terms,  §233(a)  limits  recovery  for  such
conduct to suits against the United States.  The breadth of 
the  words  “exclusive”  and  “any”  supports  this  reading,  as