Source: https://www.bafirm.com/practice-areas/qui-tam-litigation/federal-state-county-and-city-acts/rhode-island-false-claims-act/
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 16:48:03+00:00

Document:
This chapter may be cited as the State False Claims Act.
P.L. 2007, ch. 73, art. 18, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 1, 2007.
(f) “Custodian” means the custodian, or any deputy custodian, designated by the attorney general under § 9-1.1-6 of the Rhode Island general laws.
(a) Responsibilities of the attorney general. The attorney general diligently shall investigate a violation under § 9-1.1-3 of this section. If under this section the attorney general finds that a person has violated or is violating section 9-1.1-3 the attorney general may bring a civil action under this section against the person.
(g) Any employee who is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment by his or her employer because of lawful acts done by the employee on behalf of the employee or others in furtherance of an action under this section, including investigation for, initiation of, testimony for, or assistance in an action filed or to be filed under this section, shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make the employee whole. Such relief shall include reinstatement with the seniority status such employee would have had but for the discrimination, two (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 employee may bring an action in the appropriate superior court for the relief provided in this subsection 9-1.1-4(g).
(a) A subpoena requiring the attendance of a witness at a trial or hearing conducted under § 9-1.1-4, may be served at any place in the state.
(c) In any action brought under § 9-1.1-4, the state shall be required to prove all essential elements of the cause of action, including damages, by a preponderance of the evidence.
The attorney general may delegate the authority to issue subpoenas under this subsection (a) to the state police subject to conditions as the attorney general deems appropriate. Whenever a subpoena is an express demand for any product of discovery, the attorney general or his or her delegate shall cause to be served, in any manner authorized by this section, a copy of such demand upon the person from whom the discovery was obtained and shall notify the person to whom such demand is issued of the date on which such copy was served.
(B) in the case of a person other than a natural person, a person having knowledge of the facts and circumstances relating to such production and authorized to act on behalf of such person. The certificate shall state that all of the documentary material required by the demand and in the possession, custody, or control of the person to whom the subpoena is directed has been produced and made available to the attorney general.
(i) [No corresponding (i) in original bill].
(1) Petition for enforcement. Whenever any person fails to comply with any subpoena issued under subsection (a), or whenever satisfactory copying or reproduction of any material requested in such demand cannot be done and such person refuses to surrender such material, the attorney general may file, in the superior court of the county in which such person resides, is found, or transacts business, or the superior court in the he county in which an action filed pursuant to § 9-1.1-4 is pending if the action relates to the subject matter of the subpoena and serve upon such person a petition for an order of such court for the enforcement of the subpoena.
(4) Jurisdiction. Whenever any petition is filed in any superior court under this subsection (j), such court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter so presented, and to enter such orders as may be required to carry out the provisions of this section. Any final order so entered shall be subject to appeal in the same manner as appeals of other final orders in civil matters. Any disobedience of any final order entered under this section by any court shall be punished as a contempt of the court.
(k) Disclosure exemption. Any documentary material, answers to written interrogatories, or oral testimony provided under any subpoena issued under subsection (a) shall be exempt from disclosure under the Rhode Island access to public records law, § 38-2-2.
The Rhode Island superior court rules of civil procedure shall apply to all proceedings under this chapter, except when those rules are inconsistent with this Chapter.
There is hereby created a separate fund entitled the false claims act fund. All proceeds of an action or settlement of a claim brought under this chapter shall be deposited in the Fund.

References: art. 18
 § 9
 § 9
 § 9
 § 9
 § 9
 § 38