(a) Collusion is hereby declared to be a crime.

(b) Subsection (a) of this section shall not be construed to apply to activities of or arrangements between or among persons which are permitted, authorized, approved, or required by federal or state statutes or regulations.

(c) It is the intent of the General Assembly that in construing this section and subsection 2451a(h) of this title, the courts of this State shall be guided by the construction of federal antitrust law and the Sherman Act, as amended, as interpreted by the courts of the United States.

(d) Nothing in this section limits the power of the Attorney General or a State's Attorney to bring civil actions for antitrust violations under section 2453 of this title.

(e) A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100,000.00 for an individual or $1,000,000.00 for any other person or by imprisonment not to exceed five years, or both. (Added 2011, No. 168 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. May 18, 2012.)