---
type: "LegalText"
title: "41 U.S.C. § 8706"
description: "Civil actions"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 41
title_name: "PUBLIC CONTRACTS"
chapter_number: "87"
chapter_name: "KICKBACKS"
section: "8706"
citation: "41 U.S.C. § 8706"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc41@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t41/s8706"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-41/usc41.xml"
source_hash: "ea31e2bfd9033dd1602a7bf4ac1155ee68ecfff68c9375bfcf999e42d8685a07"
raw_snapshot_hash: "0977ff7e7fefd99bbd25a86e009a9e4c2707301ec8c49233d17b6604e38702e3"
text_hash: "54af3a14961f20ad37ba459c71aa3813fd1ec76a97c9e7df0fdcfcf945b726dc"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 41 U.S.C. § 8706 - Civil actions

## Text

(a) Amount.— The Federal Government in a civil action may recover from a person—

(1) that knowingly engages in conduct prohibited by section 8702 of this title a civil penalty equal to—

(A) twice the amount of each kickback involved in the violation; and

(B) not more than $10,000 for each occurrence of prohibited conduct; and

(2) whose employee, subcontractor, or subcontractor employee violates section 8702 of this title by providing, accepting, or charging a kickback a civil penalty equal to the amount of that kickback.

(b) Statute of Limitations.— A civil action under this section must be brought within 6 years after the later of the date on which—

(1) the prohibited conduct establishing the cause of action occurred; or

(2) the Federal Government first knew or should reasonably have known that the prohibited conduct had occurred.

(Pub. L. 111–350, § 3, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3840.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 870641:55.Mar. 8, 1946, ch. 80, § 5, 60 Stat. 37; Pub. L. 86–695, Sept. 2, 1960, 74 Stat. 740; Pub. L. 99–634, § 2(a), Nov. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 3524.