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| Courts can enforce state deals |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 01/15/2004 |
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The Supreme Court's ruling in a Texas case Wednesday will make it far more difficult for state officials to renege on court-approved promises to improve such things as nursing home care, prison conditions or health services for the poor. Those pledges can cost millions of dollars and obligate states to lengthy and detailed scrutiny from federal courts. In their unanimous decision, the justices said once state officials sign court agreements called consent decrees, federal judges have the power to see that the states live up to the bargain. Consent decrees are a relatively common method of resolving class action lawsuits against public officials and agencies over such things as health care, education and conditions in jails and prisons. The ruling immediately affects about 1.5 million Texas children who rely on the government for health and dental care through Medicaid. The Texas case at issue in Wednesday's ruling is typical. A group of parents sued the state in 1993 for failing to meet its obligations in delivering health care services to poor children under the federally funded Medicaid program. |
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