The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently reported that 25 members of Minnesota’s House of Representatives are sponsoring a bill to make the North Star State the newest state with its own False Claims Act.
Minnesota’s False Claims Act would award employees of government contractors up to 30 percent of a settlement or judgment reached as a result of blowing the whistle on intentional fraud committed by their employer. While similar legislation in Minnesota has failed in past years, the bill’s sponsors are hopeful that, in today’s economic climate, the bill’s promise to crack down on contractors ripping off the state could help it gain momentum.
In addition to the federal False Claims Act, 23 states currently have similar laws that are designed to protect against fraud on state governments.