United States Fifth Circuit

The Secretary of Labor's statement, requiring states to enact prohibitions similar to a Texas prohibition on waivers of unemployment compensation claims (Texas Labor Code section 207.071), is a rule for purposes of ERISA's federal savings clause, thus ERISA does not preempt Texas law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 11/19/2002
• Published 11/19/2002

Judges

• CLEMENT, Circuit Judge:, Before HIGGINBOTHAM, SMITH and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Mary Ellen Signorille, AARP Foundation, Washington, DC, for AARP and National Employment Law Project, Amici Curiae., Christopher D. Livingston, Jewell Ada Patricio, Austin, TX, for States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, California, Connecticut, Nevada, Oregon and West Virginia, Amici Curiae., Ellen Leslie Beard, Allen Howard Feldman, Nathaniel I. Spiller, U.S. Dept. of Labor, Washington, DC, for Elaine Chao, Secretary, Dept. of Labor, Amicus Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Matthew L. Hoeg,Laura A. Hanley, Andrews & Kurth Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, Houston, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee., William Fulton Broemer, Shannon B. Ross, Broemer & Associates, Houston, TX, for Defendants-Appellants.