Judge to Rule on Challenge to Obama Health-Care Law

A federal judge’s ruling on Virginia’s challenge to the Obama administration’s health-care legislation will be released on Dec. 13, a courthouse aide said.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson will be made public at midday, Judicial Assistant Robin Belcher said today in an e-mail from the court in Richmond, Virginia.

The law requires individuals to be insured. Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli filed a lawsuit challenging the directive on March 23, shortly after U.S. President Barack Obama signed the legislation.

Cuccinelli, a Republican, contends that Congress exceeded its powers in creating the “individual mandate.” Lawyers for the U.S. defend the law as a proper exercise of legislative power. Each side has asked Hudson to rule in their favor.

Led by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, a separate 20-state challenge to the Obama administration initiative is pending before U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola, Florida. He is slated to hear argument on Dec. 16.

The Virginia case is Commonwealth of Virginia v. Sebelius, 10-cv-00188, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond). The Florida case is State of Florida v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3:10-cv-00091, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida (Pensacola).

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrew M. Harris in Chicago at aharris16@bloomberg.net; Tom Schoenberg in Washington at tschoenberg@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: David E. Rovella at drovella@bloomberg.net.