district columbia greater wa trade argued november decided december section district columbia workers compensation equity amendment act requires employers provide health insurance employees provide equivalent health insurance coverage injured employees eligible workers compensation benefits respondent employer affected requirement filed action district petitioners district columbia mayor seeking enjoin enforcement ground preempted employee retirement income security act erisa provides erisa supersedes state laws relate employee benefit plan covered erisa although petitioners conceded relates plan granted motion dismiss relying decision shaw delta air lines held preempted also relates respondent workers compensation plan exempt erisa coverage respondent comply provision creating separate unit administer required benefits appeals reversed holding preemption compelled plain meaning erisa structure held section preempted erisa state law relate covered benefit plan purposes refers connection plan even law designed affect plan effect indirect see mcclendon section measures required health care coverage reference existing health insurance coverage welfare benefit plan subject erisa regulation matter requirements also relate workers compensation plans since erisa exemptions limit preemptive sweep determined law relates covered plan see alessi petitioners reliance shaw supra misplaced since statute issue relate plan support metropolitan life ins massachusetts position requires analysis state law relating plan survive preemption employers comply law separately administered exempt plans pp app affirmed thomas delivered opinion rehnquist white blackmun scalia kennedy souter joined stevens filed dissenting opinion post donna murasky assistant corporation counsel district columbia argued cause petitioners briefs john payton corporation counsel charles reischel deputy corporation counsel lawrence postol argued cause respondent brief john erlenborn briefs amici curiae urging reversal filed state connecticut et al richard blumenthal attorney general connecticut arnold feigin assistant attorney general scott harshbarger attorney general massachusetts state oklahoma ex rel dave renfro commission labor et al susan loving attorney general rabindranath ramana assistant attorney general michael sykes kayla bower american federation labor congress industrial organizations marsha berzon laurence gold american optometric association bennett boskey ellis lyons edward groobert briefs amici curiae urging affirmance filed solicitor general starr deputy solicitor general mahoney christopher wright allen feldman nathaniel spiller deborah greenfield chamber commerce mona zeiberg hollis hurd connecticut business industry association daniel fitzmaurice district columbia insurance federation william dobrovir lawrence mirel steven zaleznick cathy filed brief american association retired persons amicus curiae justice thomas delivered opinion district columbia requires employers provide health insurance employees provide equivalent health insurance coverage injured employees eligible workers compensation benefits hold requirement preempted employee retirement income security act erisa stat amended et seq ed supp ii erisa sets comprehensive system federal regulation private employee benefit plans including pension plans welfare plans welfare plan defined erisa include inter alia plan fund program maintained purpose providing medical health benefits employees beneficiaries purchase insurance otherwise section defines broad scope erisa coverage subject certain exemptions erisa applies generally employee benefit plans sponsored employer employee organization among plans exempt erisa coverage maintained solely purpose complying applicable workmen compensation laws unemployment compensation disability insurance laws erisa provision assures federal regulation covered plans exclusive section provides erisa shall supersede state laws insofar may hereafter relate employee benefit plan covered erisa several categories state laws generally applicable criminal laws laws regulating insurance banking securities excepted erisa preemption none exceptions issue effective march district columbia workers compensation equity amendment act register amended several portions district workers compensation law ann supp section equity amendment act added following requirement employer provides health insurance coverage employee shall provide health insurance coverage equivalent existing health insurance coverage employee employee receives eligible receive workers compensation benefits chapter ann supp respondent greater washington board trade nonprofit corporation sponsors health insurance coverage employees filed action district columbia mayor sharon pratt kelly seeking enjoin enforcement ground equivalent benefits requirement preempted erisa district granted petitioners motion dismiss app pet cert petitioners conceded relate plan sense benefits required challenged law set reference covered employee benefit plans relying opinion shaw delta air lines however district held preempted also relates respondent workers compensation plan exempt erisa coverage respondent comply creating separate administrative unit administer required benefits app pet cert quoting shaw supra appeals reversed app held compelled plain meaning structure erisa view erisa preempts law relates covered plan excepted preemption regardless whether law also relates exempt plan ibid appeals concluded result advance policies purposes served erisa preemption tying benefit levels workers compensation plan provided plan equity amendment act serious impact administration content plan opinion conflicts second circuit decision donnelley sons prevost cert denied upheld preemption challenge connecticut law substantially similar granted certiorari affirm ii repeatedly stated law relate covered employee benefit plan purposes connection reference plan shaw supra mcclendon fmc holliday mackey lanier collection agency service pilot life ins dedeaux metropolitan life ins massachusetts reading true ordinary meaning relate see black law dictionary ed thus gives effect deliberately expansive language chosen congress pilot life supra see also morales trans world airlines erisa preempts state law refers connection covered benefit plans fall within exception even law specifically designed affect plans effect indirect supra even law consistent erisa substantive requirements metropolitan life supra section district equity amendment act specifically refers welfare benefit plans regulated erisa basis alone preempted health insurance coverage requires employers provide eligible employees measured reference existing health insurance coverage provided employer shall benefit level ann supp employee existing health insurance coverage turn welfare benefit plan erisa involves fund program maintained employer purpose providing health benefits employee purchase insurance otherwise health insurance programs subject erisa regulation see state law imposing requirements reference covered programs must yield erisa conclusion consistent mackey lanier collection agency struck georgia law specifically exempted erisa plans generally applicable garnishment procedure also follows held erisa preempted texas common law cause action wrongful discharge based employer desire avoid paying employee pension fund even though employee sought pension benefits lost future wages mental anguish punitive damages internal quotation marks omitted held claim preempted premised existence pension plan makes difference requirements part district regulation therefore also relate workers compensation plans exemptions erisa coverage set limit preemptive sweep determined law question relates covered plan see alessi moment new jersey intrudes indirectly workers compensation law rather directly statute called pension regulation shaw delta air lines support petitioners position shaw dealt relevant part new york disability law required employers pay weekly benefits disabled employees equal employee average weekly wage quoting law mckinney supp held law preempted related exclusively exempt employee benefit plans maintained solely purpose complying applicable disability insurance laws within meaning see fact employers comply new york law administering required disability benefits multibenefit erisa plan mean law related erisa plans preemption purposes see simply held long employer disability plan administrative unit provide benefits required new york law qualify exempt plan erisa thus unlike district equity amendment act new york statute issue shaw relate plan petitioners nevertheless point metropolitan life ins massachusetts described shaw holding new york human rights law state disability benefits law relate welfare plans governed erisa relying dictum reading shaw petitioners argue construed require analysis state law relate plan may still survive preemption employers comply law separately administered plans exempt see tr oral arg metropolitan life construed scope safe harbor state laws regulating insurance see purport add passing reference shaw gloss although conclude shaw new york laws issue related employee benefit plan general human rights law barred discrimination erisa plans fell within preemption provision see explained disability benefits law upheld shaw though mandating creation welfare plan defined erisa relate welfare plan subject erisa regulation section end matter engraft analysis onto statute judgment appeals accordingly affirmed footnotes fort halifax packing coyne construed word plan connote minimal ongoing administrative scheme practice held payment triggered single event qualify benefit plan petitioners contend employers district columbia provide health insurance employees without thereby administering welfare plans within meaning erisa petitioners concede existing health insurance sponsored respondent constitutes erisa plan tr oral arg erisa preempt extent requirements measured reference existing health insurance coverage provided plans exempt erisa regulation governmental church plans see erisa welfare plans include plans providing benefits event sickness accident disability justice stevens dissenting basic question case presents whether congress intended prevent state computing workers compensation benefits basis entire remuneration injured employees portion remuneration provided employee benefit plan converting unnecessarily broad dicta interpreting words relate used employee retirement income security act erisa rule law underestimating significance exemption workers compensation plans coverage act reached incorrect conclusion unusually important case today world typical employee compensation pay often includes fringe benefits vacation pay health insurance employee loses job reason either wrongful discharge negligently inflicted physical injury normal contract tort principles allow recover damages measured entire loss earnings including value fringe benefits health insurance understand reasoning today state statute merely announced basic rule damages law erisa specifically refers component damages calculation ante workers compensation laws provide substitute tort actions employees employers typically base amount compensation award level employee earnings time injury district columbia workers compensation law example employee average weekly wages provide basic standard computing award regardless nature injury ann supp employee receives health insurance benefits typically correspondingly reduced average weekly wage district decided supplement standard level workers compensation component reflecting health insurance benefits worker receives seems holding today supplement may never measured level employee health insurance coverage least state statutes regulations specifically refer component calculation true points shaw delta air lines stated law related employee benefit plan normal sense phrase connection reference plan also true repeatedly quoted language later opinions indeed reiterated often petitioner challenge proposition statute issue case related respondent erisa plan nevertheless equally true today broad reading phrase necessary support actual holdings given implications today holding burgeoning volume litigation involving erisa preemption claims think time take fresh look intended scope preemption provision congress enacted let begin repeating qualifying language shaw opinion emphasizing one word statutory text often overlooked explaining two new york statutes issue related benefit plans noted state actions may affect employee benefit plans tenuous remote peripheral manner warrant finding law relates plan cf american telephone telegraph merry state garnishment spouse pension income enforce alimony support orders preempted present litigation plainly present borderline question express views appropriate draw line decide case narrow ground however legislative history erisa prior holdings given supersession provision broader reading thus example shaw held new york human rights law prohibited employers structuring employee benefit plans manner discriminated basis pregnancy preempted even though erisa contain superseding regulatory provisions state laws directly regulate erisa plans make necessary plan administrators operate plans differently relate plans sense intended congress opinion state law mere reference erisa plan insufficient reason concluding preempted particularly state law related almost solely plans congress expressly excluded coverage erisa anomalous conclude erisa superseded state regulation area expressly excluded coverage erisa statute issue case regulate erisa plan require erisa plan administrator make changes administration plan although statute may grant injured employees receive health insurance better compensation package insured prevent converse windfall going injured employees receive high weekly wages little health insurance coverage even district statute encourage employer pay higher wages instead providing better fringe benefits surely reason infer congressional intent supersede state regulation category compensation programs exempted federal coverage moreover requiring injured worker compensation reflect entire pay package statute attempts replace fully lost earning power every injured employee nothing erisa suggests intent supersede state efforts enact fair complete remedies injuries difficult imagine state measure injured worker health benefits without referring specific health benefits worker receives state wishes effect equitable goal district statute forced opinion require predetermined rate health insurance coverage bears relation compensation package injured worker thereby requires workers compensation laws shed characteristic element compensation based individual worker level compensation instead mechanically repeating earlier dictionary definitions word relate guide decision important difficult area statutory construction pause consider first wisdom basic rule disfavoring federal preemption state laws second specific concerns identified legislative history basis federal preemption expansive statement purpose quoted opinion shaw explained congressman dent crowning achievement legislation reservation federal authority sole power regulate field employee benefit plans preemption field round protection afforded participants eliminating threat conflicting inconsistent state local regulation quoting statute issue case regulate even one inch preempted field poses threat whatsoever conflicting inconsistent state regulation holding today enters uncharted territory holding ultimately lead venture predict persuaded however already taken step congress neither intended foresaw accordingly respectfully dissent similar arguments considered rejected several cases see martori distributors modified cert denied teper park west galleries schultz national coalition hispanic mental health human services organizations dc jaskilka carpenter technology see mcclendon fmc holliday mackey lanier collection agency service fort halifax packing coyne pilot life ins dedeaux metropolitan life ins massachusetts several years ago district judge read nearly cases reach erisa preemption clause concluded common sense left courthouse door see schultz national coalition hispanic mental health human services organizations recent lexis search indicates judicial opinions addressing erisa preemption growth may consequence growing emphasis meaning words relate thus preempting reliance district judge referred common sense see cipollone liggett group consideration issues arising supremacy clause start assumption historic police powers superseded federal act unless clear manifest purpose congress rice santa fe elevator accordingly purpose congress ultimate touchstone preemption analysis malone white motor quoting retail clerks schermerhorn one statute stated goals promote fairer system compensation preamble district columbia workers compensation equity amendment act register