State false claims acts

What a state false claims act is

The federal False Claims Act lets a private person file a qui tam suit in the name of the United States and, if the suit succeeds, receive a statutory share of the recovery. Several states have enacted their own false claims statutes for state funds. A state statute is state law. It is not a section of the federal Act, and the federal percentages are not a substitute for reading it. ¹ Source 1

This edition does not publish a table of states, citations, or award percentages. Official legislative sites were not available in a form this edition could check state by state. Naming a percentage from memory would violate this site’s rule against unverified figures. If you need the share in a particular state, read that state’s current code and the attorney general’s instructions. ¹ Source 1

When the federal Act still matters

The Justice Department’s primer says a claim can include a demand for money that the federal government provides or reimburses, even if the demand goes to a grantee. Medicaid is a frequent example in federal false-claims cases because it is funded jointly. A scheme aimed at a state agency can still involve federal money. Whether it does is a facts-and-law question. This page does not decide it. ¹ Source 1

The October 20, 2026 Justice Department reward covers fraud on specified federal programs, including health care benefit programs. It is a federal criminal-tip program. It is not a state qui tam statute. A reader looking at a state-funded program should read both the state statute, if one exists, and the federal pages, and should not assume either one applies. ¹ Source 1 ² Source 2

How to file

Federal qui tam procedure, including filing under seal, is described on the False Claims Act page of this site and in the Justice Department primer. State procedures differ. Some states require a sealed filing and service on the attorney general. Some limit which programs are covered, often to Medicaid. Those differences are why this page refuses a one-line award range. ¹ Source 1

For a report to the federal government, the Justice Department’s fraud portal is America.gov/fraud. DOJ’s civil page also describes reporting to an inspector general or filing a federal qui tam action. This site does not collect the complaint. ³ Source 3 ⁴ Source 4

Anonymity

There is no single confidentiality rule for every state. On the federal side, a qui tam complaint is filed under seal for a time, and the relator is a party. Do not assume a state case can be filed without a name. ¹ Source 1

Deadlines

The federal seal period reprinted in the Justice Department primer is at least 60 days, and the federal limitations period is the one reprinted from 31 U.S.C. § 3731(b). State limitations periods are not collected here. Use the statute of the state whose money is at issue. ¹ Source 1