(The Center Square) - A quick-moving bill that would institute a state-level false claims law passed the House Wednesday with bipartisan support.
The legislation modeled after the Federal False Claims Act promises to help the state recover millions, though critics balked at the speed with which it moved.
Specifically, the bill would create a framework for the Attorney General to pursue waste, fraud and abuse within the Human Services code. It would protect whistleblowers who file false claim suits and allow the state to receive more from successful federal false claim suits.
"It's not enough to send these bad actors to jail while leaving millions on the table," said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Frank Burns, D-Johnstown. "We need to make sure that every last nickel pilfered from the taxpayers via deception is recouped so it can be properly spent improving the lives of Pennsylvanians."
“This legislation empowers both the Attorney General and private whistleblowers to expose fraud against the Commonwealth and hold bad actors accountable,” said Rep. Tim Briggs, D-King of Prussia, who chairs the Judiciary committee.
House Bill 1697 was introduced on July 2nd and reported from the Judiciary committee on Monday July 7th where it passed on partisan lines.
“This is a commonsense, taxpayer-first bill that will finally give Pennsylvania the tools we need to crack down on fraud and recover millions in misused public funds,” said Briggs on passing the bill through committee.
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