Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-63

Current through the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 378-63 - Civil actions for injunctive relief or damages

(a) A person who alleges a violation of this part may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.

(b) An action commenced pursuant to subsection (a) may be brought in the circuit court for the circuit where the alleged violation occurred, where the complainant resides, or where the person against whom the civil complaint is filed resides or has a principal place of business.

(c) As used in subsection (a), "damages" means damages for injury or loss caused by each violation of this part, including reasonable attorney fees.

HRS § 378-63

L 1987, c 267, pt of §1; am L 2002, c 56, §3 .

Plaintiff's state whistleblower claim under § 378-62 barred, where plaintiff did not file complaint until well after the ninety-day period after the most recent alleged violation of the whistleblowers' protection act. 75 F. Supp. 2d 1113. Count of complaint alleging that plaintiff was wrongfully discharged in violation of 31 U.S.C. §3730(h) of the False Claims Act was time-barred, where the court found that the Hawaii Whistleblowers' Protection Act provided the state cause of action most closely analogous to a 31 U.S.C. §3730(h) claim for retaliatory discharge, and thus applied a ninety-day statute of limitations to plaintiff's claim for retaliatory discharge. 362 F. Supp. 2d 1203.