(a) A person who knowingly makes or causes to be made a false statement, material misrepresentation, or false certification in support of a grant or loan under this chapter, including, but not limited to, in an application, record, report, certification, plan, invoice, form, or other document that is submitted, filed, or required to be maintained under this chapter for purposes of a grant or loan, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or in the state prison for 16 months, two years, or three years, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) The Attorney General, upon request of the board, may bring an action in superior court to impose the criminal penalty specified in subdivision (a).
(c) Remedies under this section are in addition to, and do not supersede or limit, any other civil or criminal remedies.
(d) A fine collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Financing Account.
(e) The board shall file a complaint with any applicable licensing board against any person licensed or otherwise regulated by that licensing board who is convicted under this section.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 296, Sec. 12. (AB 3220) Effective January 1, 2021. Repealed as of January 1, 2026, pursuant to Section 25299.117.)