Source: https://www.bafirm.com/practice-areas/qui-tam-litigation/federal-state-county-and-city-acts/massachusetts-false-claims-act/
Timestamp: 2017-10-18 20:20:37
Document Index: 480771236

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 22', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 23', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 26', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 29', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 30', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 31', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 32', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 18', '§ 33', '§ 5']

Massachusetts False Claims Act | Berg & Androphy
Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, §§ 5A-5O
Title II. Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth (Ch. 6-28A)
Chapter 12. Department of the Attorney General, and the District Attorneys (Refs & Annos)
§ 5. Civil actions to recover money for commonwealth
§ 5A. False claims; definitions
“Material”, having a natural tendency to influence, or be capable of influencing, the payment or receipt of money or property.
“Original source”, an individual who: (1) prior to a public disclosure under paragraph (3) of section 5G, has voluntarily disclosed to the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof the information on which allegations or transactions in a claim are based; or (2) 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 commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof before filing a false claims action.
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, § 22, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5B. False claims; liability
(ii) the date any corresponding cost report is due, if applicable, shall be liable to the commonwealth or political subdivision for a civil penalty of not less than $5,500 and not more than $11,000 per violation, as adjusted by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-410 section 5, 104 Stat. 891, note following 28 U.S.C. section 2461, plus 3 times the amount of damages, including consequential damages, that the commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof sustains because of such violation. A person violating sections 5B to 50, inclusive, shall also be liable to the commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof for the expenses of the civil action brought to recover any such penalty or damages including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, reasonable expert fees and the costs of investigation, as set forth below. Costs recoverable under said sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, shall also include the costs of any review or investigation undertaken by the attorney general, or by the state auditor or the inspector general in cooperation with the attorney general.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), if the court finds that:
(1) the person committing the violation of subsection (a) furnished an official of the office of the attorney general responsible for investigating a false claims law violation with all the information known to such person about the violation within 30 days after the date on which the person first obtained the information;
(2) such person fully cooperated with any commonwealth investigation of such violation; and
(3) at the time such person furnished the commonwealth with the information about the violation, no civil action or administrative action had commenced under sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, or no criminal prosecution had commenced with respect to such violation, and such person did not have actual knowledge of the existence of an investigation into such violation, the court may assess not less than 2 times the amount of damages, including consequential damages, that the commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof sustains because of the act of that person.
§ 5C. Violations under Secs. 5B to 5O; investigation by attorney general; relators; civil actions
(3) When a relator brings an action under said sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, a copy of the complaint and written disclosure of substantially all material evidence and information the relator possesses shall be served on the attorney general pursuant to Rule 4(d) (3) of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure. The complaint shall be filed under seal and shall remain so for 120 days after service upon the attorney general. Notwithstanding any other general or special law or procedural rule to the contrary, service on the defendant shall not be required until the period provided in paragraph (5). The attorney general may, for good cause shown, ask the court for extensions during which the complaint shall remain under seal. Any such motions may be supported by affidavits or other submissions under seal. The attorney general may elect to intervene and proceed with the action on behalf of the commonwealth or political subdivision within the 120-day period or during any extension, after the attorney general receives both the complaint and the material evidence and information. Any information or documents furnished by the relator to the attorney general in connection with an action or investigation under said sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, shall be exempt from disclosure under section 10 of chapter 66.
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, §§ 23 to 25, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5D. Prosecution by attorney general; relator’s right to continue as party to action
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18.
§ 5E. Alternate remedies available to determine civil penalty
§ 5F. Payments to relators; limitations
(5) Whether or not the attorney general proceeds with the action, if the court finds that the action was brought by a relator who planned and initiated the violation of sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, upon which the action was brought, then the court may, to the extent the court considers appropriate, reduce or eliminate the share of the proceeds of the action which the relator would otherwise receive pursuant to this section, taking into account the role of the relator in advancing the case to litigation and any relevant circumstances pertaining to the violation. If the relator bringing the action is convicted of criminal conduct arising from his role in the violation of this section, the relator shall be dismissed from the civil action and shall not receive any share of the proceeds of the action. Such dismissal shall not prejudice the right of the attorney general to continue the action.
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, §§ 26 to 28, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5G. Actions brought against governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state, etc.; limitations
(c) The court shall dismiss an action pursuant to sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, unless opposed by the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, if substantially the same allegations or transactions as alleged in the action or claim were publicly disclosed: (1) in a Massachusetts criminal, civil or administrative hearing in which the commonwealth is a party; (2) in a Massachusetts legislative, administrative, auditor’s or inspector general’s report, hearing, audit or investigation; or (3) from the news media, unless the action is brought by the attorney general, or the relator is an original source of the information.
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, § 29, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5H. Money recovered by commonwealth; false claims prosecution fund
§ 5I. Awards of attorney general fees and expenses; awards of costs and attorney fees against relators; liability
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, § 30, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5J. Employers preventing employees from acting to further false claim actions; liability
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, § 31, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5K. Limitation of actions; intervention by attorney general; final judgments in criminal proceedings
(2) If the attorney general elects to intervene and proceed with an action brought pursuant to sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, for a violation of section 5B, the attorney general may file a complaint or amend the complaint of a person who has brought an action pursuant to said sections 5B to 5O, inclusive, to clarify or add detail to the claims in which the attorney general is intervening and to add any additional claims with respect to which the commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof contends it is entitled to relief. For statute of limitations purposes, any such pleading shall relate back to the filing date of the complaint of the person who originally-brought the action, to the extent that the claim of the attorney general arises out of the conduct, transactions or occurrences set forth, or attempted to be set forth, in the prior complaint of that person.
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, § 32, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5L. Preponderance of the evidence standard
§ 5M. Rules, regulations or guidelines; attorney general
§ 5N. Civil investigative demands; attorney general
Added by St.2000, c. 159, § 18. Amended by St.2012, c. 139, §§ 33, 34, eff. July 1, 2012.
§ 5O. Agency reporting requirements