By: Moncrief S.B. No. 1528 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to false claims made with certain governmental entities; 1-2 providing a civil penalty. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 10, Government Code, is amended 1-5 by adding Chapter 2259 to read as follows: 1-6 CHAPTER 2259. FALSE CLAIMS 1-7 SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS 1-8 Sec. 2259.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-9 (1) "Claim" means a claim for money, property, or 1-10 services made to: 1-11 (A) an employee, officer, or agent of a 1-12 governmental entity; or 1-13 (B) a government contractor, if a portion of the 1-14 money, property, or services claimed was or is to be provided by a 1-15 governmental entity. 1-16 (2) "Government contractor" means a person who 1-17 receives money from a governmental entity to provide goods or a 1-18 service, acting within the course and scope of the person's 1-19 obligation to the governmental entity. The term includes a 1-20 contractor, grantee, or other recipient of money without regard to 1-21 whether the contractor, grantee, or recipient is under contract to 2-1 the governmental entity. 2-2 (3) "Governmental entity" means: 2-3 (A) the state; 2-4 (B) a local governmental entity; 2-5 (C) a board, commission, department, office, or 2-6 other agency in the executive branch of state government, including 2-7 an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, 2-8 Education Code; 2-9 (D) the legislature or a legislative agency; or 2-10 (E) the supreme court, the court of criminal 2-11 appeals, a court of appeals, or the State Bar of Texas or another 2-12 judicial agency having statewide jurisdiction. 2-13 (4) "Local governmental entity" means: 2-14 (A) a municipality, county, public school 2-15 district, or special-purpose district or authority; or 2-16 (B) a court that receives any part of its 2-17 funding from a municipality or county. 2-18 (5) "Managing official" means an appointed or elected 2-19 official responsible for the management or oversight of a 2-20 governmental entity. In the case of the legislature, the term 2-21 means the speaker of the house of representatives or the lieutenant 2-22 governor. In the case of a court, the term means any judge or 2-23 justice of the court. 2-24 (6) "Prosecuting authority" means the attorney for a 2-25 local governmental entity or another local government official 3-1 charged with investigating, filing, and conducting civil legal 3-2 proceedings on behalf of a local governmental entity. 3-3 Sec. 2259.002. PROHIBITED ACTS. A person may not: 3-4 (1) present to an officer, employee, or agent of a 3-5 governmental entity or government contractor a false claim for 3-6 payment or approval; 3-7 (2) make or use a false record or statement to obtain 3-8 payment or approval of a false claim by a governmental entity or 3-9 government contractor; 3-10 (3) conspire to defraud a governmental entity or 3-11 government contractor by obtaining the payment or approval of a 3-12 false claim; 3-13 (4) deliver to a governmental entity or government 3-14 contractor less property than the amount of property for which the 3-15 person receives a receipt; 3-16 (5) make or deliver a receipt that falsely represents 3-17 the amount of property delivered that is to be used by a 3-18 governmental entity or government contractor; 3-19 (6) buy or accept as a pledge of an obligation or debt 3-20 public property from a person who may not sell or pledge the 3-21 property; 3-22 (7) make or use a false record or statement to 3-23 conceal, avoid, or decrease an obligation to pay or transmit money 3-24 or property to a governmental entity or government contractor; 3-25 (8) accept the benefits from a false claim made by any 4-1 person; or 4-2 (9) cause an act described by Subdivisions (1) through 4-3 (8) to be committed by another person. 4-4 (Sections 2259.003-2259.010 reserved for expansion 4-5 SUBCHAPTER B. LIABILITY FOR VIOLATIONS 4-6 Sec. 2259.011. LIABILITY FOR KNOWING VIOLATION. (a) A 4-7 court that finds that a person knowingly violated Section 2259.002 4-8 shall award the affected governmental entity: 4-9 (1) the actual damages sustained by the governmental 4-10 entity because of the violation; 4-11 (2) exemplary damages equal to two times the amount of 4-12 actual damages; and 4-13 (3) attorney's fees and costs incurred by the 4-14 governmental entity to recover the damages and penalty. 4-15 (b) The court may reduce the amount of exemplary damages 4-16 awarded under Subsection (a)(2) to an amount not less than the 4-17 amount of actual damages if the person who knowingly violated 4-18 Section 2259.002: 4-19 (1) furnished an official of the governmental entity 4-20 responsible for investigating false claims violations with all 4-21 information known to the person about the violation not later than 4-22 the 30th day after the official requested the information; and 4-23 (2) otherwise fully cooperated with any investigation 4-24 by the governmental entity. 4-25 (c) A person knowingly violates Section 2259.002 if the 5-1 person: 5-2 (1) acts with actual knowledge of the facts that 5-3 constitute the violation; 5-4 (2) acts in deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard 5-5 of those facts or the truth or falsity of those facts; or 5-6 (3) acts without actual knowledge of the facts that 5-7 constitute the violation and, after the violation, learns the facts 5-8 that constitute the violation and fails to take action to mitigate 5-9 or rectify the violation. 5-10 Sec. 2259.012. CIVIL PENALTY. In addition to amounts 5-11 awarded under Section 2259.011, the court may award to the affected 5-12 governmental entity a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for 5-13 each false claim unless the person who knowingly violated Section 5-14 2259.002 cooperated in the investigation as described by Sections 5-15 2259.011(b)(1) and (2). 5-16 Sec. 2259.013. LIABILITY JOINT AND SEVERAL; PROPORTIONATE 5-17 RESPONSIBILITY INAPPLICABLE. Liability under this subchapter is 5-18 joint and several for a violation committed by more than one 5-19 person. Chapter 33, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, does not 5-20 apply to an action brought under this chapter. 5-21 Sec. 2259.014. EXCEPTIONS. A court may not award exemplary 5-22 damages and attorney's fees and costs under Section 2259.011 or a 5-23 civil penalty under Section 2259.012 against a person if the total 5-24 actual damages resulting from all violations for which damages are 5-25 being assessed against the person in the case is less than $500. 6-1 Sec. 2259.015. DEPOSIT OF MONEY. (a) Money collected on 6-2 behalf of a governmental entity shall be deposited to the credit of 6-3 the general revenue fund of the state or of the local governmental 6-4 entity, as appropriate. 6-5 (b) If the action is brought in the names of both the state 6-6 and one or more local governmental entities, the court shall 6-7 apportion the award of damages, exemplary damages, and any civil 6-8 penalty among the state and those local entities on the basis of 6-9 the loss incurred. Attorney's fees and costs shall be awarded to 6-10 the entity that incurred the fees and costs. 6-11 Sec. 2259.016. LIMITATIONS. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), 6-12 an action under this subchapter must be brought not later than the 6-13 third anniversary of the date on which the violation was discovered 6-14 by: 6-15 (1) the attorney general or prosecuting authority; or 6-16 (2) a managing official of the affected governmental 6-17 entity, other than a managing official who participated in the 6-18 violation. 6-19 (b) An action under this subchapter may not be brought after 6-20 the 10th anniversary of the date on which the violation was 6-21 committed. 6-22 Sec. 2259.017. APPLICATION OF LAW GOVERNING EXEMPLARY 6-23 DAMAGES. Chapter 41, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, does not 6-24 apply to exemplary damages awarded under Section 2259.011 or to the 6-25 civil penalty awarded under Section 2259.012. 7-1 (Sections 2259.018-2259.020 reserved for expansion 7-2 SUBCHAPTER C. ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION 7-3 Sec. 2259.021. ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATION. (a) The 7-4 attorney general shall investigate alleged violations of Section 7-5 2259.002 involving state funds. 7-6 (b) If the attorney general finds that a person has violated 7-7 Section 2259.002, the attorney general may bring an action under 7-8 Subchapter B against the person. 7-9 Sec. 2259.022. AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. (a) If 7-10 the attorney general brings an action under Subchapter B on a claim 7-11 that involves local government funds as well as state funds, the 7-12 attorney general shall provide a copy of the complaint to the 7-13 appropriate prosecuting authority. 7-14 (b) The attorney general shall mail the complaint to the 7-15 prosecuting authority by certified mail, return receipt requested, 7-16 not later than the date on which the complaint is filed. 7-17 (c) The prosecuting authority may intervene in an action 7-18 brought by the attorney general under this subchapter not later 7-19 than the 60th day after the date the prosecuting authority receives 7-20 the copy of the complaint. The court may permit the prosecuting 7-21 authority to intervene after that date for good cause. 7-22 (Sections 2259.023-2259.030 reserved for expansion 7-23 SUBCHAPTER D. ACTION BROUGHT BY PROSECUTING AUTHORITY 7-24 Sec. 2259.031. PROSECUTING AUTHORITY INVESTIGATION. (a) A 7-25 prosecuting authority shall investigate alleged violations of 8-1 Section 2259.002 involving funds belonging to a local governmental 8-2 entity. 8-3 (b) If the prosecuting authority finds that a person has 8-4 violated Section 2259.002, the prosecuting authority may bring an 8-5 action under Subchapter B against the person. 8-6 Sec. 2259.032. ATTORNEY GENERAL. (a) If the prosecuting 8-7 authority brings an action under Subchapter B on a claim that 8-8 involves state funds as well as local government funds, the 8-9 prosecuting authority shall provide a copy of the complaint to the 8-10 attorney general. 8-11 (b) The prosecuting authority shall mail the complaint to 8-12 the attorney general by certified mail, return receipt requested, 8-13 not later than the date on which the complaint is filed. 8-14 (c) Not later than the 60th day after the date the attorney 8-15 general receives the copy of the complaint, the attorney general 8-16 shall: 8-17 (1) notify the court that the attorney general intends 8-18 to proceed with the action and assume primary responsibility for 8-19 conducting the action; or 8-20 (2) notify the court that the attorney general 8-21 declines to assume primary responsibility for conducting the 8-22 action. 8-23 (d) If the attorney general assumes primary responsibility 8-24 for conducting the action, the prosecuting authority may continue 8-25 as a party in the action. If the attorney general declines to 9-1 assume primary responsibility for conducting the action, the 9-2 prosecuting authority may continue to conduct the action. 9-3 (Sections 2259.033-2259.040 reserved for expansion 9-4 SUBCHAPTER E. PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION 9-5 Sec. 2259.041. PRIVATE ACTION. A person may bring a civil 9-6 action in a district court in this state for a violation of Section 9-7 2259.002 in the name of the person and the name of the state, the 9-8 name of a local government, or both the state and the local 9-9 government, as appropriate. 9-10 Sec. 2259.042. SERVICE OF PETITION. (a) A person who 9-11 brings an action under this subchapter shall serve a copy of the 9-12 petition in the action on: 9-13 (1) the attorney general, if the claim involves state 9-14 funds; and 9-15 (2) the prosecuting authority of the local government, 9-16 if the claim involves local government funds. 9-17 (b) Service under this section shall be made in the manner 9-18 provided by Rule 21a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. 9-19 Sec. 2259.043. INTERVENTION. (a) In an action involving 9-20 only state funds, the attorney general may assume responsibility 9-21 for prosecution of the action by entering an appearance not later 9-22 than the 60th day after the date the attorney general receives 9-23 service of the petition under Section 2259.042. 9-24 (b) In an action involving only local government funds, the 9-25 prosecuting authority may assume responsibility for prosecution of 10-1 the action by entering an appearance not later than the 60th day 10-2 after the date the prosecuting authority receives service of the 10-3 petition under Section 2259.042. 10-4 (c) In an action involving state and local government funds, 10-5 the attorney general may assume primary responsibility for 10-6 prosecution of the action by entering an appearance not later than 10-7 the 60th day after the date the attorney general receives service 10-8 of the petition under Section 2259.042. 10-9 (d) If the attorney general assumes primary responsibility 10-10 for prosecution of the action under Subsection (c), the prosecuting 10-11 authority may, not later than the 60th day after the date the 10-12 prosecuting authority receives service of the petition under 10-13 Section 2259.042, enter an appearance and proceed as a party in the 10-14 action. 10-15 (e) If the attorney general does not assume primary 10-16 responsibility for prosecution of the action under Subsection (c), 10-17 the prosecuting authority may assume responsibility for prosecution 10-18 of the action not later than the 30th day after the last date the 10-19 attorney general may enter an appearance under this section. 10-20 Sec. 2259.044. AWARD TO PRIVATE PARTY IF GOVERNMENT 10-21 PROSECUTES ACTION. (a) If the attorney general or the prosecuting 10-22 authority assumes responsibility for prosecution of the action 10-23 under Section 2259.043 and the action is settled or the court 10-24 enters a judgment for the state or the local government, the court 10-25 shall award a reasonable portion of the settlement or judgment to 11-1 the person who commenced the action under this subchapter. 11-2 (b) In determining the amount to award a person under this 11-3 section, the court shall consider the value of any information or 11-4 evidence disclosed by the person. An award of 10 percent of the 11-5 settlement or judgment is presumed to be reasonable. 11-6 Sec. 2259.045. AWARD TO PRIVATE PARTY IF GOVERNMENT DOES 11-7 NOT PROSECUTE ACTION. (a) If the attorney general or the 11-8 prosecuting authority does not assume responsibility for 11-9 prosecution of the action under Section 2259.043 and the action is 11-10 settled or the court enters a judgment for the state or the local 11-11 government, the court shall award to the person who prosecuted the 11-12 action under this subchapter: 11-13 (1) a reasonable portion of the settlement or 11-14 judgment; and 11-15 (2) reasonable expenses incurred by the person in 11-16 prosecuting the action. 11-17 (b) In determining the amount to award a person under 11-18 Subsection (a), the court shall consider the value of the person's 11-19 prosecution of the action. An award of 25 percent of the 11-20 settlement or judgment is presumed to be reasonable. 11-21 (Sections 2259.046-2259.050 reserved for expansion 11-22 SUBCHAPTER F. INTERFERENCE WITH DISCLOSURE BY EMPLOYEES 11-23 Sec. 2259.051. RIGHT TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION AND PARTICIPATE 11-24 IN ACTION. A person is entitled to: 11-25 (1) disclose information relevant to an alleged 12-1 violation of Section 2259.002 to a governmental entity, a 12-2 prosecuting authority, the attorney general, or a law enforcement 12-3 agency; 12-4 (2) assist, at the request of the attorney general or 12-5 a prosecuting authority, in the investigation of an alleged 12-6 violation of Section 2259.002; or 12-7 (3) testify or otherwise participate, at the request 12-8 of the attorney general or a prosecuting authority, in the 12-9 furtherance of an action filed or to be filed under this chapter. 12-10 Sec. 2259.052. PROHIBITED CONDUCT BY EMPLOYER. (a) An 12-11 employer may not: 12-12 (1) adopt or enforce a rule or policy that prevents an 12-13 employee from exercising the employee's rights under Section 12-14 2259.051; or 12-15 (2) discriminate against an employee, including 12-16 discharging, demoting, suspending, threatening, harassing, or 12-17 denying promotion to the employee, because the employee has 12-18 exercised the employee's rights under Section 2259.051. 12-19 (b) An employer who violates Subsection (a) is liable to the 12-20 employee for: 12-21 (1) actual damages, including damages for lost wages; 12-22 (2) reinstatement to employment with the seniority 12-23 status, if applicable, that the employee would have had in the 12-24 absence of the discrimination; 12-25 (3) exemplary damages equal to not less than two times 13-1 the amount of lost wages; and 13-2 (4) attorney's fees and costs. 13-3 (c) An employee may not recover under Subsection (b) unless: 13-4 (1) the employee exercised the employee's rights under 13-5 Section 2259.051; and 13-6 (2) to the extent the employee participated in the 13-7 violation of Section 2259.002, the employee participated in 13-8 response to harassment, threats of termination or demotion, or 13-9 other coercion by the employer. 13-10 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 13-11 applies only to an action commenced on or after that date without 13-12 regard to whether the act on which the action is based occurred 13-13 before, on, or after that date. An action commenced before the 13-14 effective date of this Act is governed by the law applicable to the 13-15 action immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that 13-16 law is continued in effect for that purpose. 13-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 13-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 13-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 13-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 13-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.