40-26-132. Administrative penalties.

(a) If the enforcing authority determines at a hearing under W.S. 40-26-131 that a respondent has engaged in or is about to engage in a discriminatory housing practice, the enforcing authority may order the appropriate relief, including actual damages, reasonable attorney's fees, court costs and other injunctive or equitable relief.

(b) To vindicate the public's interest, the enforcing authority may assess a civil penalty against the respondent in an amount that does not exceed:

(i) Eleven thousand dollars ($11,000.00) if the respondent has been found by order of the enforcing authority or a court to have committed a prior discriminatory housing practice; or

(ii) Except as provided by subsection (c) of this section, twenty-seven thousand dollars ($27,000.00) if the respondent has been found by order of the enforcing authority or a court to have committed one (1) other discriminatory housing practice during the five (5) year period ending on the date of the filing of the charges and fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000.00) if the respondent has been found by the enforcing authority or a court to have committed two (2) or more discriminatory housing practices during the seven (7) year period ending on the date of filing of the charge.

(c) If the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice that is the object of the charge are committed by the same individual who has previously been found to have committed acts constituting a discriminatory housing practice, the civil penalties in subsection (b) of this section may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any other discriminatory housing practice occurred.

(d) The enforcing agency shall sue to recover a civil penalty due under this section. Funds collected under this section shall be paid to the state treasurer for deposit in the common school fund in the county in which the offense occurred.