Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/19-431_5i36.pdf
Page Number: 38.0

8 

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR SAINTS PETER 
AND PAUL HOME v. PENNSYLVANIA 
ALITO, J., concurring 

ing that “ ‘the submission of the self-certification form’ ” re-
quired by the mandate would not “ ‘trigger or facilitate the 
provision of contraceptive coverage’ ” and  would not make 
the Little Sisters “ ‘ “complicit” in the provision’ ” of objected-
to services.  930 F. 3d 543, 573 (2019) (quoting Geneva Col-
lege v. Secretary of U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Servs., 
778 F. 3d 422, 437–438 (CA3 2015), vacated and remanded 
sub nom. Zubik, 578 U. S. ___). 

The  position  taken  by  the  Third  Circuit  was  similar  to 
that of the Government when Zubik was before us.  Oppos-
ing the position taken by the Little Sisters and others, the 
Government argued that what the accommodation required 
was not materially different from simply asking that an ob-
jecting  party  opt  out  of  providing  contraceptive  coverage 
with the knowledge that by doing so it would cause a third 
party  to  provide  that  coverage.    According  to  the  Govern-
ment, everything that occurred following the opt-out was a 
result of governmental action.6 

Petitioners disagreed.  Their concern was not with noti-
fying  the  Government  that  they  wished  to  be  exempted
from complying with the mandate per se,7 but they objected
to two requirements that they sincerely believe would make
them  complicit  in  conduct  they  find  immoral.    First,  they
took  strong  exception  to  the  requirement  that  they  main-
tain and pay for a plan under which coverage for contracep-
tives would be provided.  As they explained, if they “were
willing to incur ruinous penalties by dropping their health 
plans, their insurance companies would have no authority 

—————— 

6 See Brief for Respondents in Zubik v. Burwell, O. T. 2015, Nos. 14– 

1418, 14–1453, 14–1505, 15–35, 15–105, 15–119, 15–191, pp. 35–41. 

7 See Brief for Petitioners in Zubik v. Burwell, O. T. 2015, Nos. 15–35, 

15–105, 15–119, 15–191, p. 45.