100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB5300

 

Introduced , by Rep. David McSweeney

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
740 ILCS 175/3  from Ch. 127, par. 4103

    Amends the Illinois False Claims Act. Provides that a Section imposing liability for certain acts does not apply to any taxes imposed, collected, or administered by the State of Illinois (instead of to claims, records, or statements made under the Illinois Income Tax Act).


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois False Claims Act is amended by
5changing Section 3 as follows:
 
6    (740 ILCS 175/3)  (from Ch. 127, par. 4103)
7    Sec. 3. False claims.
8    (a) Liability for certain acts.
9        (1) In general, any person who:
10            (A) knowingly presents, or causes to be presented,
11        a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval;
12            (B) knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or
13        used, a false record or statement material to a false
14        or fraudulent claim;
15            (C) conspires to commit a violation of
16        subparagraph (A), (B), (D), (E), (F), or (G);
17            (D) has possession, custody, or control of
18        property or money used, or to be used, by the State and
19        knowingly delivers, or causes to be delivered, less
20        than all the money or property;
21            (E) is authorized to make or deliver a document
22        certifying receipt of property used, or to be used, by
23        the State and, intending to defraud the State, makes or

 

 

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1        delivers the receipt without completely knowing that
2        the information on the receipt is true;
3            (F) knowingly buys, or receives as a pledge of an
4        obligation or debt, public property from an officer or
5        employee of the State, or a member of the Guard, who
6        lawfully may not sell or pledge property; or
7            (G) knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or
8        used, a false record or statement material to an
9        obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the
10        State, or knowingly conceals or knowingly and
11        improperly avoids or decreases an obligation to pay or
12        transmit money or property to the State,
13    is liable to the State for a civil penalty of not less than
14    the minimum amount and not more than the maximum amount
15    allowed for a civil penalty for a violation of the federal
16    False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3729 et seq.) as adjusted by
17    the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of
18    1990 (28 U.S.C. 2461), plus 3 times the amount of damages
19    which the State sustains because of the act of that person.
20    Notwithstanding any other provision, a person is liable to
21    the State for a civil penalty of not less than $5,500 and
22    not more than $11,000, plus 3 times the amount of damages
23    which the State sustains because of the act of that person,
24    when: (i) the civil action was brought by a private person
25    pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Section 4;
26    (ii) the State did not elect to intervene pursuant to

 

 

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1    paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of Section 4; (iii) the
2    actual amount of the tax owed to the State is equal to or
3    less than $50,000, which does not include interest,
4    penalties, attorney's fees, costs, or any other amounts
5    owed or paid pursuant to this Act; and (iv) the violation
6    of this Act relates to or involves a false claim regarding
7    a tax administered by the Department of Revenue, excluding
8    claims, records, or statements made under the Property Tax
9    Code. The penalties in this Section are intended to be
10    remedial rather than punitive, and shall not preclude, nor
11    be precluded by, a criminal prosecution for the same
12    conduct.
13        (2) A person violating this subsection shall also be
14    liable to the State for the costs of a civil action brought
15    to recover any such penalty or damages.
16    (b) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:
17        (1) The terms "knowing" and "knowingly":
18            (A) mean that a person, with respect to
19        information:
20                (i) has actual knowledge of the information;
21                (ii) acts in deliberate ignorance of the truth
22            or falsity of the information; or
23                (iii) acts in reckless disregard of the truth
24            or falsity of the information, and
25            (B) require no proof of specific intent to defraud.
26        (2) The term "claim":

 

 

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1            (A) means any request or demand, whether under a
2        contract or otherwise, for money or property and
3        whether or not the State has title to the money or
4        property, that
5                (i) is presented to an officer, employee, or
6            agent of the State; or
7                (ii) is made to a contractor, grantee, or other
8            recipient, if the money or property is to be spent
9            or used on the State's behalf or to advance a State
10            program or interest, and if the State:
11                    (I) provides or has provided any portion
12                of the money or property requested or demanded;
13                or
14                    (II) will reimburse such contractor,
15                grantee, or other recipient for any portion of
16                the money or property which is requested or
17                demanded; and
18            (B) does not include requests or demands for money
19        or property that the State has paid to an individual as
20        compensation for State employment or as an income
21        subsidy with no restrictions on that individual's use
22        of the money or property.
23        (3) The term "obligation" means an established duty,
24    whether or not fixed, arising from an express or implied
25    contractual, grantor-grantee, or licensor-licensee
26    relationship, from a fee-based or similar relationship,

 

 

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1    from statute or regulation, or from the retention of any
2    overpayment.
3        (4) The term "material" means having a natural tendency
4    to influence, or be capable of influencing, the payment or
5    receipt of money or property.
6    (c) Exclusion. This Section does not apply to any taxes
7imposed, collected, or administered by the State of Illinois
8claims, records, or statements made under the Illinois Income
9Tax Act.
10(Source: P.A. 100-452, eff. 8-25-17.)