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HR 4854 110th Congress House Law Administrative remedies Armed Forces and National Security Civil actions and liability Civil procedure Claims Commerce Congress Congressional reporting requirements Contracts Damages Federal employees Fraud Government Operations and Politics Governmental investigations Jurisdiction Labor and Employment Labor contracts Limitation of actions Military personnel

False Claims Act Correction Act of 2007

Introduced: December 19, 2007 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 11 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 16, 2008
Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law Discharged.
Jul 16, 2008
Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Discharged.
Jul 16, 2008
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jul 16, 2008
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jun 24, 2008
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Jun 19, 2008
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Feb 25, 2008
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
Feb 25, 2008
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.
Dec 19, 2007
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Dec 19, 2007
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2658-2659)
Dec 19, 2007
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

False Claims Act Correction Act of 2007 - Amends the False Claims Act to revise requirements and procedures governing civil actions for false claims (qui tam actions) brought by private persons.

Repeals the requirement that a false or fraudulent claim for payment must be presented directly to a federal employee or member of the Armed Forces (thus tying liability for such claims directly to federal money and property, regardless to whom the claim is presented).

Revises requirements for alternate remedies affecting qui tam actions and related qui tam plaintiff awards.

Allows dismissal of a private action based upon prior public disclosures only upon timely motion to dismiss by the Attorney General.

Revises the prohibition of retaliatory action against whistleblowers to include material hindering of the person in obtaining new employment or other business opportunities.

Requires the government to pay from the proceeds of an action for financial losses suffered by administrative beneficiaries (thus permitting actions for fraud instituted against nontaxpayer funds under federal trust and administration).

Expands from six years to ten years the statute of limitations for bringing a civil action.

Requires the government, if it elects to intervene and proceed with an action, to file its own complaint, or amend the complaint of a person who brought a civil action, but in any event to relate back to the filing date of the original qui tam complaint to the extent that such claim arises out of the same set of facts.

Declares that a person bringing a private qui tam action shall not be required to identify specific claims that result from an alleged course of misconduct if: (1) the facts alleged in the complaint, if ultimately proven true, would provide a reasonable indication that one or more false claims are likely to have occurred; and (2) the allegations in the pleading provide adequate notice of the specific nature of the alleged misconduct to permit the government effectively to investigate and defendants fairly to defend such allegations.

Declares void any contracts, agreements, or private terms or conditions of employment that limit or circumvent the rights of a person to bring a qui tam action.

Declares further that no court-ordered seal on a qui tam action shall prevent the government or the person bringing the action from serving the complaint or related documents upon state or local law enforcement authorities.

Modifies procedures for civil investigative demands.

Cites circumstances in which the government may move to dismiss a qui tam action by a federal employee (who has, in effect, not exhausted administrative procedures for addressing the allegations in the false claim complaint).

What's happening now July 16, 2008

Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law Discharged.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3