Opinion ID: 182614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Prudential Standing Doctrine Applies

Text: The district court held that prudential standing is not a concern whenever a plaintiff brings a preemption-based challenge. . . under the Supremacy Clause. Aplt.App. 570. The panel opinion concluded that TWS had prudential standing, rejecting Kane County's assertions that TWS was (1) asserting the claims of the United States, (2) raising generalized grievances, and (3) relying on claims outside the zone of interests protected by the Supremacy Clause. Wilderness Soc'y, 581 F.3d at 1216. According to the panel, TWS members are asserting independent harms to their recreational and aesthetic interests given Kane County's attempt to override the Monument Plan and federal management plans. Id. at 1217. Because the members used lands within earshot of the disputed roads for recreational purposes their grievances are specific and not general. Id. at 1217. Finally, even assuming that the zone of interests test applies in a preemption challenge, the panel concluded that the Supremacy Clause need only arguably be designed to protect persons harmed by preempted enactments. Id. In a footnote, the panel suggested that the zone-of-interests test might not apply or be redundant of the third-party standing inquiry. Id. at 1217 n. 11. Although Congress may relieve parties of meeting prudential standing requirements, the doctrine applies unless it is expressly negated. Bennett v. Spear, 520 U.S. 154, 163, 117 S.Ct. 1154, 137 L.Ed.2d 281 (1997). To be sure, as the district court stated, some cases seem to hold that prudential standing is unnecessary in a Supremacy Clause challenge. See Pharm. Research & Mfrs. of Am. v. Concannon, 249 F.3d 66, 73 (1st Cir.2001), aff'd on other grounds sub nom. Pharm. Research & Mfrs. of Am. v. Walsh, 538 U.S. 644, 123 S.Ct. 1855, 155 L.Ed.2d 889 (2003); cf. St. Thomas-St. John Hotel & Tourism Ass'n v. Gov't of the U.S. Virgin Islands, 218 F.3d 232, 241 (3d Cir.2000). These cases make the point that the preemptive federal statute need not confer a benefit on the plaintiffs, much as we concluded in Qwest, 380 F.3d at 1265. Concannon, 249 F.3d at 73; St. Thomas-St. John Hotel & Tourism Ass'n, 218 F.3d at 241. The district court also relied upon Taubman Realty Group Ltd. P'ship v. Mineta, which concluded that plaintiffs were not required to meet an additional standing requirement concerning the zone of interests regarding a Supremacy Clause challenge. 320 F.3d 475, 481 n. 3 (4th Cir.2003). These cases do not resolve another aspect of prudential standing, whether plaintiffs can assert the legal rights of others. That it may still be an issue is demonstrated by Concannon, where PhRMA challenged a state statute essentially requiring manufacturers to enter rebate agreements with the State and was able to assert the rights of Medicaid recipients. 249 F.3d at 74. The court reasoned that vendors have historically been allowed to challenge restrictions on their operations by advocating the rights of those seeking their products. Id.