Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare v. United States

48 Fed. Cl. 785, 2001 U.S. Claims LEXIS 29, 2001 WL 224964
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedFebruary 28, 2001
DocketNo. 99-386C
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 48 Fed. Cl. 785 (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare v. United States, 48 Fed. Cl. 785, 2001 U.S. Claims LEXIS 29, 2001 WL 224964 (uscfc 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

DAMICH, Judge.

I. Introduction

This case is before the Court on Defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction or, in the alternative, Defendant’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania seeks an amount in excess of $75 million because of the refusal of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to pay invoices related to juvenile justice services pursuant to Title IV-A of the Social Security Act, which refusal Plaintiff claims is a breach of contract arising out of a [786]*786State Plan prepared pursuant to a funding grant under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. Because the Court finds that Plaintiff has failed to allege any facts that, if proven, would establish that the State Plan is a contract binding on the United States, the Court GRANTS Defendant’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

II. Discussion

A. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim

Defendant has moved to dismiss either for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Rules of the Court of Federal Claims (RCFC) or for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(4). Although the Court agrees that Plaintiffs complaint should be dismissed, the appropriate inquiry is whether Plaintiff has stated a claim upon which relief can be granted. See Trauma Service Group v. United States, 104 F.3d 1321, 1325 (Fed.Cir.1997). The Tucker Act provides the Court of Federal Claims with jurisdiction over claims against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, an Act of Congress, a regulation of an executive department, or upon an express or implied contract with the United States. 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1). “The party invoking jurisdiction has the burden to show compliance with the Tucker Act.” Trauma Service Group, 104 F.3d at 1324. Generally, “a well pleaded allegation in the complaint is sufficient to overcome challenges to jurisdiction.” Id. at 1325. In this case, Plaintiff bases its claim upon a contract with the United States. This allegation is enough to confer subject matter jurisdiction in this Court. See Id. (allegation in complaint that claim was based upon contract was enough to confer subject matter jurisdiction in the Court of Federal Claims). A claim does not fail for lack of jurisdiction merely because its success is doubtful. Bell v. Hood, 327 U.S. 678, 682, 66 S.Ct. 773, 90 L.Ed. 939 (1946). “Failure to state a proper cause of action calls for a judgment on the merits and not for a dismissal for want of jurisdiction.” Id. Therefore, this Court will address whether Plaintiff has stated a claim upon which relief can be granted.

B. Standard of Review

“A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(4) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted is appropriate when the facts asserted by the claimant do not under the law entitle him to a remedy____In reviewing the dismissal under Rule 12(b)(4), we are mindful that we must assume all well-pled factual allegations as true and make all reasonable inferences in favor of ... the nonmovant.” Perez v. United States, 156 F.3d 1366, 1370 (Fed.Cir.1998). “Dismissal under Rule 12(b)(4) is appropriate only when it is beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim [that] would entitle him to relief.... Because granting such a motion summarily terminates the ease on its merits, courts broadly construe the complaint, particularly in light of the liberal pleading requirements under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” (citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) Ponder v. United States, 117 F.3d 549, 552-53 (Fed.Cir.1997), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1110, 118 S.Ct. 1040, 140 L.Ed.2d 106 (1998).

C. Factual Background

Plaintiff applied for a federal grant for child and family services under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. See Am. Compl. H 5; See also A9-99. As required by the grant program, Plaintiff submitted a 5-year State Plan based on HHS guidelines, which, according to Plaintiff, was jointly developed between the Commonwealth and HHS. As evidenced by the signature of the Acting Regional Administrator, the State Plan was approved on August 11, 1995. See A7-75. Plaintiff received notice of approval of the State Plan on September 14, 1995. See Compl. Ex. B. Plaintiff then received all the grant money it was entitled to under Title IV-B.

On September 12,1995, the Office of Family Assistance of HHS issued an Action Transmittal which established that effective January 1, 1996, federal financial participation would not be “available under the Emergency Assistance program for costs as-[787]*787soeiated with providing benefits or services to children in the juvenile justice system.” A103. After the effective date, Defendant denied payment of invoices submitted by Plaintiff under the Emergency Assistance program for services related to juvenile justice services, which, Plaintiff admits, were Title IV-A funds.

Plaintiff contends that by refusing to pay the invoices related to juvenile justice services pursuant to Title IV-A, Defendant breached the Title IV-B grant agreement embodied in the State Plan. Plaintiff makes the connection between Title IV-A funds and the Title IV-B State Plan, arguing that the Office of Family Assistance had authority over the Emergency Assistance program, and had previously agreed that such funds could be used to support the Title IV-B programs and be included in the Title IV-B planning process. Am. Compl. 1110. In short, Plaintiff argues that the Title IV-B State Plan is a contract within this Court’s jurisdiction that obligated Defendant to pay Title IV-A funds.1

Because Plaintiff is trying to obtain Title IV-A funds through Title IV-B, its case is strengthened insofar as the connection between Title IV-B and Title IV-A can be enhanced. This seems to be the reason why, without informing the Court, Plaintiff changed the statutory basis of its claim from subpart 2 (42 U.S.C. § 629 et seq.) to subpart 1 (42 U.S.C. § 620 et seq.) of Title IV-B.2 The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 restructured Title IV-B of the Social Security Act by creating subpart 2, entitled “Family Preservation and Support Services,” which authorized capped entitlement funds to states for family services. Pub.L. 103-66; 42 U.S.C. § 629 et seq. (1993).

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Bluebook (online)
48 Fed. Cl. 785, 2001 U.S. Claims LEXIS 29, 2001 WL 224964, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-of-pennsylvania-department-of-public-welfare-v-united-states-uscfc-2001.