Opinion ID: 3052936
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Individual Claims Against a State

Text: [6] Despite the structure of the 1998 amendments’ remedial scheme and its legislative history, Townsend contends that USERRA provides for federal court jurisdiction for an action brought by a private individual against the University. He argues that Congress intended to retain federal court jurisdiction over USERRA claims brought by private individuals against an arm of the State. The Eleventh Amendment, however, bars federal jurisdiction over suits against an unconsenting state by its own citizens. See Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U.S. 1, 15 (1890); accord Seminole Tribe, 517 U.S. at 54. [7] Although Congress may abrogate the states’ sovereign immunity when “Congress has ‘unequivocally expresse[d] its intent to abrogate the immunity,’ ” and when “Congress has acted ‘pursuant to a valid exercise of power,’ ” Seminole Tribe, 517 U.S. at 55 (quoting Green v. Mansour, 474 U.S. 64, 68 (1985)); accord Miranda B. v. Kitzhaber, 328 F.3d 1181, 1184-85 (9th Cir. 2003), here, Congress has not unequivocally expressed an intent to abrogate the states’ sovereign immunity in USERRA. The best Townsend can point to is the language in the Act that claims against a state “may” be brought in state court. See 38 U.S.C. § 4323(b)(2). Based on that language, Townsend argues that Congress impliedly intended to authorize private actions against states in federal court. [8] We have, however, on at least two occasions, explicitly rejected the argument that permissive language regarding another forum’s jurisdiction means that Congress also intended to grant federal jurisdiction. In Williams v. United Airlines, Inc., 500 F.3d 1019, 1022 (9th Cir. 2007), we concluded that a statute stating that a person “may” file an administrative complaint with the Secretary of Labor did not mean that a complaint could be filed with the Secretary of Labor and with the federal district court. And in Murphey v. Lanier, 204 F.3d 911, 914 (9th Cir. 2000), we held that because fed12344 TOWNSEND v. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA eral jurisdiction is limited to that conferred by Congress, a statute stating that an action “may” brought in state court “does not mean that federal jurisdiction also exists; instead, the failure to provide for federal jurisdiction indicates that there is none.” Thus, Congress’ use of the permissive “may” with respect to bringing suit in some other forum does not evince an intent to grant federal jurisdiction over actions brought by individuals against states, and it certainly does not evince an intent to abrogate the states’ sovereign immunity. See Dellmuth v. Muth, 491 U.S. 223, 230 (1989) (“[E]vidence of congressional intent must be both unequivocal and textual.”); see also Seminole Tribe, 517 U.S. at 55 (“Congress’ intent to abrogate the States’ immunity from suit must be obvious from a clear legislative statement.”) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).3 [9] Townsend also argues in passing that 28 U.S.C. § 1331, the general federal question jurisdictional statute, grants jurisdiction over USERRA claims brought against a state by an individual, and thereby evinces an intent to abrogate the states’ sovereign immunity. Section 1331, however, “does not itself purport to direct federal courts to ignore a State’s sovereign immunity.” Seminole Tribe, 517 U.S. at 86 (Stevens, J., dissenting). [10] Thus, we conclude that the district court correctly dismissed Townsend’s suit against the State for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Indeed, not only has Congress failed to evince an intent to abrogate the states’ sovereign immunity, “Congress’s intention to limit USERRA suits against states to 3 By way of contrast, the pre-1998 version of USERRA did evince a clear congressional intent to abrogate sovereign immunity. It provided that “[t]he district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction” over all USERRA actions, including those brought by a person against a State employer. See Pub. L. No. 103-353 § 2, 108 Stat. 3149, 3165 (1994). But, as we have noted in Part IV.A, supra, concerned about the teaching of Seminole Tribe, Congress repealed that provision. TOWNSEND v. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA 12345 state courts is unmistakable.” See Velasquez v. Frapwell, 165