Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2011-title31/html/USCODE-2011-title31-subtitleIII-chap37-subchapIII-sec3730.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 16:03:53+00:00

Document:
(a) Responsibilities of the Attorney General.—The Attorney General diligently shall investigate a violation under section 3729. If the Attorney General finds that a person has violated or is violating section 3729, the Attorney General may bring a civil action under this section against the person.
(b) Actions by Private Persons.—(1) A person may bring a civil action for a violation of section 3729 for the person and for the United States Government. The action shall be brought in the name of the Government. The action may be dismissed only if the court and the Attorney General give written consent to the dismissal and their reasons for consenting.
(c) Rights of the Parties to Qui Tam Actions.—(1) If the Government proceeds with the action, it shall have the primary responsibility for prosecuting the action, and shall not be bound by an act of the person bringing the action. Such person shall have the right to continue as a party to the action, subject to the limitations set forth in paragraph (2).
(d) Award to Qui Tam Plaintiff.—(1) If the Government proceeds with an action brought by a person under subsection (b), such person shall, subject to the second sentence of this paragraph, receive at least 15 percent but not more than 25 percent of the proceeds of the action or settlement of the claim, depending upon the extent to which the person substantially contributed to the prosecution of the action. Where the action is one which the court finds to be based primarily on disclosures of specific information (other than information provided by the person bringing the action) relating to allegations or transactions in a criminal, civil, or administrative hearing, in a congressional, administrative, or Government 1 Accounting Office report, hearing, audit, or investigation, or from the news media, the court may award such sums as it considers appropriate, but in no case more than 10 percent of the proceeds, taking into account the significance of the information and the role of the person bringing the action in advancing the case to litigation. Any payment to a person under the first or second sentence of this paragraph shall be made from the proceeds. Any such person shall also receive an amount for reasonable expenses which the court finds to have been necessarily incurred, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. All such expenses, fees, and costs shall be awarded against the defendant.
(e) Certain Actions Barred.—(1) No court shall have jurisdiction over an action brought by a former or present member of the armed forces under subsection (b) of this section against a member of the armed forces arising out of such person's service in the armed forces.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “original source” means an individual who either (i) prior to a public disclosure under subsection (e)(4)(a), has voluntarily disclosed to the Government the information on which allegations or transactions in a claim are based, or (2) who has knowledge that is independent of and materially adds to the publicly disclosed allegations or transactions, and who has voluntarily provided the information to the Government before filing an action under this section.
(f) Government Not Liable for Certain Expenses.—The Government is not liable for expenses which a person incurs in bringing an action under this section.
(g) Fees and Expenses to Prevailing Defendant.—In civil actions brought under this section by the United States, the provisions of section 2412(d) of title 28 shall apply.
(1) In general.—Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee, contractor, or agent is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by the employee, contractor, agent or associated others in furtherance of an action under this section or other efforts to stop 1 or more violations of this subchapter.
(2) Relief.—Relief under paragraph (1) shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status that employee, contractor, or agent would have had but for the discrimination, 2 times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, and compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees. An action under this subsection may be brought in the appropriate district court of the United States for the relief provided in this subsection.
(3) Limitation on bringing civil action.—A civil action under this subsection may not be brought more than 3 years after the date when the retaliation occurred.
3730(b)(1) 31:232(A), (B)(less words between 3d and 4th commas). R.S. §3491(A)–(E); restated Dec. 23, 1943, ch. 377, §1, 57 Stat. 608; June 11, 1960, Pub. L. 86–507, §1(28), (29), 74 Stat. 202.
3730(b)(2) 31:232(C)(1st–3d sentences, 5th sentence proviso).
3730(b)(3) 31:232(C)(4th sentence, 5th sentence less proviso).
3730(d) 31:232(B)(words between 3d and 4th commas), (E)(2)(proviso).
In subsection (b)(1), the words “Except as hereinafter provided” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “for a violation of section 3729 of this title” are added because of the restatement. The words “and carried on”, “several” and “full power and” are omitted as surplus. The words “of the action” are substituted for “to hear, try, and determine such suit” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “Trial is in the judicial district within whose jurisdictional limits the person charged with a violation is found or the violation occurs” are substituted for “within whose jurisdictional limits the person doing or committing such act shall be found, shall wheresoever such act may have been done or committed” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the Code. The words “withdrawn or” and “judge of the” are omitted as surplus. The words “Attorney General” are substituted for “district attorney [subsequently changed to ‘United States attorneys’ because of section 1 of the Act of June 25, 1948 (ch. 646, 62 Stat. 909)], first filed in the case” because of 28:509.
Section 101(f) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (e)(2)(B), is section 101(f) of Pub. L. 95–521, title I, Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1824, which was set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
“(4)(A) No court shall have jurisdiction over an action under this section based upon the public disclosure of allegations or transactions in a criminal, civil, or administrative hearing, in a congressional, administrative, or Government Accounting Office report, hearing, audit, or investigation, or from the news media, unless the action is brought by the Attorney General or the person bringing the action is an original source of the information.
Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 111–203, §1079A(c)(1), substituted “agent or associated others in furtherance of an action under this section or other efforts to stop 1 or more violations of this subchapter” for “or agent on behalf of the employee, contractor, or agent or associated others in furtherance of other efforts to stop 1 or more violations of this subchapter”.
Subsec. (h)(3). Pub. L. 111–203, §1079A(c)(2), added par. (3).
1994—Subsec. (e)(2)(B). Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “paragraphs (1) through (8)” for “section paragraphs (1) through (8)”.
1990—Subsec. (e)(2)(B). Pub. L. 101–280 substituted “paragraphs (1) through (8) of section 101(f)” for “201(f)”.
1988—Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 100–700, §9(b)(1), which directed amendment of section 3730 of title 28 by substituting “with the action” for “with action” in subsec. (c)(4), was executed to subsec. (c)(4) of this section as the probable intent of Congress.
Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 100–700, §9(a)(1), (2), added par. (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4).
Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 100–700, §9(b)(2), which directed amendment of section 3730 of title 28 by substituting “claim of the person bringing the action” for “claim of the person bringing the actions” in subsec. (d)(4), was executed to subsec. (d)(4) of this section as the probable intent of Congress.
Pub. L. 100–700, §9(a)(1), redesignated former par. (3) as (4).
1986—Pub. L. 99–562, §3, amended section generally, revising and expanding provisions of subsecs. (a) to (c), adding subsecs. (d) and (e), redesignating former subsec. (d) as (f), and adding subsec. (g).
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–562, §4, added subsec. (h).
Amendment by Pub. L. 111–21 effective May 20, 2009, and applicable to conduct on or after May 20, 2009, see section 4(f) of Pub. L. 111–21, set out as a note under section 3729 of this title.

References: §3491
 §1
 §1
 §1079
 §1079
 §9
 §9
 §9
 §9
 §3
 §4