Criminal penalties for violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act

(a) In general The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 706 the following: 706A. Criminal penalties (a) Individual violations Any person who knowingly and willfully violates this title shall be fined not more than $50,000, or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. (b) Pattern or practice (1) In general Any person who engages in a pattern or practice of knowingly and willfully violating this title shall be fined not more than $100,000 for each violation of this title, or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. (2) Personal liability of executive officers and directors of the board Any executive officer or director of the board of an entity who knowingly and willfully causes the entity to engage in a pattern or practice of knowingly and willfully violating this title (or who directs another agent, senior officer, or director of the entity to commit such a violation or engage in such acts that result in the director or officer being personally unjustly enriched) shall be— (A) fined in an amount not to exceed 100 percent of the compensation (including stock options awarded as compensation) received by such officer or director from the entity— (i) during the time period in which the violations occurred; or (ii) in the one to three year time period preceding the date on which the violations were discovered; and (B) imprisoned for not more than 5 years.. (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 706 the following: 706A. Criminal penalties..