PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

You can file a lawsuit under section 3730 in any federal district where the defendant can be found, lives, does business, or where the wrong described in section 3729 happened. The court will issue a summons under the Federal Rules, and it can be served anywhere inside or outside the United States. A federal court can also hear state-law claims to get back money paid by a state or local government if those claims come from the same transaction or occurrence as the section 3730 case. If a state or local government joins as a co-plaintiff, a court-ordered seal does not stop the U.S. or the person bringing the case from giving the complaint, other papers, or most evidence to state or local law enforcement that can investigate or prosecute, but the seal still applies to those authorities the same way it applies to others in the case.

Title 31, §3732

Money and Finance, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Actions Under section 3730.—

Any action under section 3730 may be brought in any judicial district in which the defendant or, in the case of multiple defendants, any one defendant can be found, resides, transacts business, or in which any act proscribed by section 3729 occurred. A summons as required by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure shall be issued by the appropriate district court and served at any place within or outside the United States.

(b)Claims Under State Law.—

The district courts shall have jurisdiction over any action brought under the laws of any State for the recovery of funds paid by a State or local government if the action arises from the same transaction or occurrence as an action brought under section 3730.

(c)Service on State or Local Authorities.—

With respect to any State or local government that is named as a co-plaintiff with the United States in an action brought under subsection (b), a seal on the action ordered by the court under section 3730(b) shall not preclude the Government or the person bringing the action from serving the complaint, any other pleadings, or the written disclosure of substantially all material evidence and information possessed by the person bringing the action on the law enforcement authorities that are authorized under the law of that State or local government to investigate and prosecute such actions on behalf of such governments, except that such seal applies to the law enforcement authorities so served to the same extent as the seal applies to other parties in the action.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, referred to in subsec. (a), are set out in the Appendix to Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Amendments

2009—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–21 added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2009 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–21 effective

May 20, 2009, and applicable to conduct on or after

May 20, 2009, except that this section, as amended by Pub. L. 111–21, applicable to cases pending on

May 20, 2009, see section 4(f) of Pub. L. 111–21, set out as a note under section 3729 of this title.

§3732 False Claims Jurisdiction