Committee hears bill to create a Washington State False Claims Act with qui tam enforcement
Substitute HB 2585 would create a state False Claims Act modeled on the federal law and the state's Medicaid version, authorizing the attorney general and private relators to sue for false claims to state funds, imposing treble damages and civil penalties, and establishing whistleblower protections. Business groups urged narrow carve‑outs for taxes and good‑faith contract claims.
The full story
Substitute House Bill 2585 was presented to the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee on Jan. 27 as a measure to expand Washington's civil tools against fraud in state programs. Staff described the bill as modeled on the federal False Claims Act and the state Medicaid False Claims Act, extending civil liability to fraudulent claims presented to the state and authorizing qui tam suits by private relators.
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