Virginia SB 487: Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act; raises civil penalties in Act.

Bill Text

Bill Tracking - 2018 session > Legislation 

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2018 SESSION

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18103038D

SENATE BILL NO. 487 

Offered January 10, 2018 

Prefiled January 9, 2018 

A BILL to amend and reenact � 8.01-216.3 of the Code of 
 Virginia, relating to Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act; civil penalties; 
 rate of inflation. 
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Patron-- Edwards 

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Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That � 8.01-216.3 of the Code of Virginia is amended and 
 reenacted as follows:

� 8.01-216.3. False claims; civil penalty.

A. Any person who:

1. Knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent 
 claim for payment or approval;

2. Knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or used, a 
 false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim;

3. Conspires to commit a violation of subdivision 1, 2, 4, 5, 
 6, or 7;

4. Has possession, custody, or control of property or money 
 used, or to be used, by the Commonwealth and knowingly delivers, or causes to 
 be delivered, less than all such money or property;

5. Is authorized to make or deliver a document certifying 
 receipt of property used, or to be used, by the Commonwealth and, intending to 
 defraud the Commonwealth, makes or delivers the receipt without completely 
 knowing that the information on the receipt is true;

6. Knowingly buys or receives as a pledge of an obligation or 
 debt, public property from an officer or employee of the Commonwealth who 
 lawfully may not sell or pledge the property; or

7. Knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or used, a 
 false record or statement material to an obligation to pay or transmit money or 
 property to the Commonwealth or knowingly conceals or knowingly and improperly 
 avoids or decreases an obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the 
 Commonwealth;

shall be liable to the Commonwealth for a civil penalty of not 
 less than $5,500 
 $10,957 and not more than 
 $11,000 $21,916, 
 except that these lower and upper limits on liability shall automatically be 
 adjusted to equal the amounts allowed under the Federal False Claims Act, 31 
 U.S.C. � 3729 et seq., as 
 amended, as such 
 penalties in the Federal False Claims 
 Act are adjusted for inflation by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation 
 Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended (28 U.S.C. � 2461 
 Note, P.L. 101-410), 
 plus three times the amount of damages sustained by the Commonwealth.

A person violating this section shall be liable to the 
 Commonwealth for reasonable attorney fees and costs of a civil action brought 
 to recover any such penalties or damages. All such fees and costs shall be paid 
 to the Attorney General's Office by the defendant and shall not be included in 
 any damages or civil penalties recovered in a civil action based