Pennsylvania reportedly remains the largest state in the country without a state-level false claims statute.
Two state legislators hope to change that. In early June, State Representatives, Brandon Neuman and Tony DeLuca introduced House Bill 1493, a state version of the federal False Claims Act.
“Pennsylvanians lose as much as $200 million a year through Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse,” Neuman said in a June news release announcing the bill’s introduction. “Our Pennsylvania False Claims Act legislation … would go a long way toward deterring this dishonesty.” Neuman said his bill would provide the necessary tools for the commonwealth to recover the “maximum amount possible from those who cheat or attempt to cheat the government.”
“More than half of the states and the District of Columbia have false claims acts,” Neuman said, “and implementing one in Pennsylvania would provide a new source of revenue while punishing those who steal taxpayer dollars.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is said to support the proposal.
According to Stephen Kohn, Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center, "Pennsylvania needs a False Claims Act. It is only common sense. The federal government, joined by states such as California, Georgia, Montana, New Jersey and New York, have collected billions and billions of dollars from corporations that lied to obtain government contracts or cheated in the procurement process. Why would any state or local government not want to participate in this effective anti-fraud tool? We hope that Pennsylvania’s lawmakers act quickly to adopt this measure."
Read House Bill 1493