Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 844

529US3

Unit: $U59

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Cite as: 529 U. S. 765 (2000)

769

Opinion of the Court

FCA imposes civil liability upon “[a]ny person” who, inter
alia, “knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, to an
ofﬁcer or employee of the United States Government . . . a
false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval.”
31
U. S. C. § 3729(a). The defendant is liable for up to treble
Ibid.
damages and a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per claim.
An FCA action may be commenced in one of two ways.
First, the Government itself may bring a civil action against
the alleged false claimant. § 3730(a). Second, as is relevant
here, a private person (the relator) may bring a qui tam civil
action “for the person and for the United States Gov-
ernment” against the alleged false claimant, “in the name of
the Government.” § 3730(b)(1).

If it does so,

If a relator initiates the FCA action, he must deliver a
copy of the complaint, and any supporting evidence, to the
Government, § 3730(b)(2), which then has 60 days to in-
it
tervene in the action, §§ 3730(b)(2), (4).
assumes primary responsibility for prosecuting the action,
§ 3730(c)(1), though the relator may continue to participate
in the litigation and is entitled to a hearing before voluntary
dismissal and to a court determination of reasonableness
before settlement, § 3730(c)(2).
If the Government declines
to intervene within the 60-day period, the relator has the
exclusive right to conduct the action, § 3730(b)(4), and the
Government may subsequently intervene only on a showing
of “good cause,” § 3730(c)(3). The relator receives a share
of any proceeds from the action—generally ranging from 15

share of recovery against a person contracting with Indians in an unlawful
manner); § 201 (providing cause of action and share of recovery against a
person violating Indian protection laws); 35 U. S. C. § 292(b) (providing
cause of action and share of recovery against a person falsely marking
patented articles); cf. 18 U. S. C. § 962 (providing for forfeiture to informer
of share of vessels privately armed against friendly nations, but not ex-
pressly authorizing suit by informer); 46 U. S. C. § 723 (providing for for-
feiture to informer of share of vessels removing undersea treasure from
the Florida coast to foreign nations, but not expressly authorizing suit
by informer).