Louisiana Revised Statutes 39:2157 – Qui tam action; civil action filed by private person
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 39:2157
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Hurricane relief programs: means any state or federal program or fund created for the purpose of assisting persons who incurred personal, business, or property damage or other losses due to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 39:2153
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Recovery: means the recovery of overpayments, damages, fines, penalties, costs, expenses, restitution, attorney fees, interest, or settlement amounts. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 39:2153
A. A private person may institute a civil action to seek recovery on behalf of hurricane relief programs and himself, except for the civil monetary penalty provided in La. Rev. Stat. 39:2156(C), for a violation of this Chapter. The institutor shall be known as a “qui tam plaintiff” and the civil action shall be known as a “qui tam action”.
B.(1) A qui tam plaintiff shall be an original source of the information which serves as the basis for the alleged violation. More than one person may serve as a qui tam plaintiff in a qui tam action arising out of the same information and allegations provided each person qualifies as an original source.
(2) For purposes of this Section, the term “original source” means a person who has direct and independent knowledge of the alleged violation and who has voluntarily provided the information to the attorney general before filing a qui tam action with the court.
C. No qui tam action shall be instituted later than one year after the date a qui tam complaint is received by the attorney general.
D.(1) No court shall have jurisdiction over a qui tam action based upon a disclosure of allegations or transactions in a criminal, civil, or administrative hearing or as the result of disclosure of a governmental audit report, investigation, or hearing unless the person bringing the action is an original source of the information.
(2) No court shall have jurisdiction over a qui tam action based upon a disclosure through the media unless the person bringing the action is an original source of the information and that fact is confirmed by a person with knowledge of who provided the information.
E.(1) A person who is or was a public employee or public official or a person who is or was acting on behalf of the state shall not bring a qui tam action if the person has or had a duty or obligation to report, investigate, or pursue allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct by persons who apply for relief from or work for hurricane relief programs.
(2) A person who is or was a public employee or public official or a person who is or was acting on behalf of the state shall not bring a qui tam action if the person has or had access to records of the state through the normal course and scope of his employment or other relationship with the state.
F. No employer of a qui tam plaintiff shall discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or discriminate against a qui tam plaintiff at any time arising out of the fact that the qui tam plaintiff brought an action pursuant to this Chapter unless the court finds that the qui tam plaintiff has instituted or proceeded with an action that is frivolous, vexatious, or harassing.
G. The court shall allow the attorney general to intervene and proceed with the qui tam action in the district court at any time during the qui tam action proceedings.
H. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a qui tam complaint and information filed with the attorney general shall not be subject to discovery or become public record until judicial service of the qui tam action is made on any of the defendants, except that the information contained therein may be given to other governmental entities or their authorized agents for review and investigation. Such entities and their authorized agents shall maintain the confidentiality of the information provided to them under this Subsection.
Acts 2006, No. 479, §1, eff. June 22, 2006.