On January 17, 2023, Oregon Senate Bill 311 was introduced. The bill proposes to amend Oregon’s False Claims Act. Because False Claims Act violations are increasingly being alleged against holders regarding their unclaimed property reporting, it’s important to take note of states’ actions relating to their False Claims laws.
Oregon is now proposing to increase the amounts of damages and penalties imposed on those found to have violated the Act. Specifically, it changes the stated amount for damages from $10,000 to “an amount not less than $10,000 and not greater than $50,000 for each violation.”
Additionally, the bill increases the statute of limitations on false claims actions from three years to five years after the date the state discovers the violation providing states more time within which to bring a false claims action.
These proposed changes would apply prospectively to claims discovered on or after the bill’s effective date. If passed, the changes in this bill would become effective on January 1, 2024.
