§ 3502. Civil penalty

(a) If the Secretary determines that a person—

(1) has failed to submit a report in accordance with the provisions of section 3501 of this title, or

(2) has knowingly submitted a report under section 3501 of this title—

(A) which does not contain all the information required to be in such report, or

(B) which contains information that is misleading or false,

such person shall be subject to a civil penalty imposed by the Secretary. The amount of any such civil penalty shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section. Any such civil penalty shall be recoverable in a civil action brought by the Attorney General of the United States in an appropriate district court of the United States.

(b) The amount of any civil penalty imposed by the Secretary under subsection (a) of this section shall be such amount as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter, except that such amount shall not exceed 25 percent of the fair market value, on the date of the assessment of such penalty, of the interest in agricultural land with respect to which such violation occurred.

(Pub. L. 95–460, § 3, Oct. 14, 1978, 92 Stat. 1265.)