Section 5-11-5.5-2 - False claims; civil penalty; reduced penalty for certain disclosures(a) This section does not apply to: (1) a claim, record, or statement concerning income tax (IC 6-3); or(2) a claim, request, demand, statement, record, act, or omission made or submitted after June 30, 2014, in relation to the Medicaid program described in IC 12-15.(b) A person who knowingly or intentionally:(1) presents a false claim to the state for payment or approval;(2) makes or uses a false record or statement to obtain payment or approval of a false claim from the state;(3) with intent to defraud the state, delivers less money or property to the state than the amount recorded on the certificate or receipt the person receives from the state;(4) with intent to defraud the state, authorizes issuance of a receipt without knowing that the information on the receipt is true;(5) receives public property as a pledge of an obligation on a debt from an employee who is not lawfully authorized to sell or pledge the property;(6) makes or uses a false record or statement to avoid an obligation to pay or transmit property to the state;(7) conspires with another person to perform an act described in subdivisions (1) through (6); or(8) causes or induces another person to perform an act described in subdivisions (1) through (6); is, except as provided in subsection (c), liable to the state for a civil penalty of at least five thousand dollars ($5,000) and for up to three (3) times the amount of damages sustained by the state. In addition, a person who violates this section is liable to the state for the costs of a civil action brought to recover a penalty or damages.
(c) If the factfinder determines that the person who violated this section:(1) furnished state officials with all information known to the person about the violation not later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the person obtained the information;(2) fully cooperated with the investigation of the violation; and(3) did not have knowledge of the existence of an investigation, a criminal prosecution, a civil action, or an administrative action concerning the violation at the time the person provided information to state officials; the person is liable for a penalty of not less than two (2) times the amount of damages that the state sustained because of the violation. A person who violates this section is also liable to the state for the costs of a civil action brought to recover a penalty or damages.
Amended by P.L. 109-2014, SEC. 1, eff. 7/1/2014.As added by P.L. 222-2005, SEC.23.