10. a. No employer shall make, adopt, or enforce any rule, regulation, or policy preventing an employee, contractor, or agent from disclosing information to a State or law enforcement agency or from acting to further a false claims action, including investigating, initiating, testifying, or assisting in an action filed or to be filed under this act.

b. Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee, contractor, or agent is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by the employee, contractor, agent, or associated others in furtherance of an action under this act, or in other efforts to stop one or more violations of this act.

c. Relief under subsection b. of this section shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status such employee, contractor, or agent would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, and, where appropriate, punitive damages. In addition, the defendant shall be required to pay litigation costs and reasonable attorney’s fees associated with an action brought under this section. An action may be brought in the Superior Court for the relief provided in this subsection.

d. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2023, c.73)

e. A civil action under this subsection may not be brought more than three years after the date when the retaliation occurred.

L.2007, c.265, s.10; amended 2023, c.73, s.7.