California Assembly Bill 1196 has been introduced to amend the state’s False Claims Act.
According to the Legislative Counsel’s Digest the bill would specify that “claim” as used in the Act includes “any record or statement used to conceal, avoid, or decrease an obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the state or any political subdivision, and to require the imposition of a civil penalty on a person found liable for a violation.” The bill would require the written consent of the Attorney General or local prosecuting authority to dismiss an action filed by a qui tam plaintiff, and would prohibit the waiver or release of specified claims except as part of a settlement of a civil action.
A hearing by the Judiciary Committee is scheduled for April 21st.