Opinion ID: 310938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: state liability

Text: 18 Defendants argue that because the Secretary had approved their plan an action will not lie against the state. The defendants also argue that because the food stamp program's standards are derived from H.E.W. regulations this action is, essentially, a dispute between two federal agencies. However, federal approval of the state statutory and regulatory scheme does not render the state's administration of its program any less state action within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983. There was agency approval in Rosado v. Wyman, 397 U.S. 397, 90 S.Ct. 1207, 25 L.Ed.2d 442 (1970), and in King v. Smith, supra, but an action against a state official was still a proper way to test the legality of the state plan. 19 Plaintiffs' claims for money damages for delay raise the Eleventh Amendment problem on which the circuits have disagreed. Jordan v. Weaver, 472 F.2d 985 (7th Cir., 1973); Rothstein v. Wyman, 467 F.2d 226 (2d Cir. 1972). However, defendants did not assert this defense in the district court. It is clear that the state's sovereign immunity, if it exists, can be waived. By not raising the defense at an appropriate time, the state waived whatever protection, if any, the Eleventh Amendment might have provided in this case. We need not decide now whether the Second Circuit or the Seventh Circuit correctly resolved the Eleventh Amendment issue. 20 We remand the action to the district court for further proceedings to determine whether the alleged delay was justified by the special circumstances presented by each of the individual claims. If a particular delay was not justified, a successful plaintiff will be entitled to restitution measured by an issue of stamps or a payment of cash in the value of the stamps he would have received during the period of any wrongful delay. 21 Reversed and remanded.