STAND. COM. REP. NO.  337

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2019

 

RE:   H.B. No. 949

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 949 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FALSE CLAIMS TO THE STATE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend Hawaii's False Claims Act to meet the requirements of Section 1909 of the Social Security Act, which provides a financial incentive for states that enact false claims laws.  Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Increases the penalty amounts for false claims to the State to match the 2019 penalty amounts under the Federal False Claims Act; and

 

     (2)  Requires the state penalty amounts for the year 2020 and thereafter to be the same as, and for the same effective dates as, the federal penalty amounts adjusted and adopted by the United States Department of Justice.

 

     The Department of the Attorney General and an individual testified in support of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 949 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair