SEC. 7. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) ENFORCEMENT BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMIS-
SION.— 
(1) UNFAIR
OR
DECEPTIVE
ACTS
OR
PRAC-
TICES.—A violation of section 4 or 5 or a regulation 
promulgated under this Act shall be treated as a vio-
lation of a rule defining an unfair or a deceptive act 
or practice under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal 
Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)). 
(2) POWERS OF COMMISSION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 
enforce this Act in the same manner, by the 
same means, and with the same jurisdiction, 
powers, and duties as though all applicable 
terms and provisions of the Federal Trade 
Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were in-
corporated into and made a part of this Act. 
(B) PRIVILEGES
AND
IMMUNITIES.—Any 
person who violates section 4 or 5 or a regula-
tion prescribed under this Act shall be subject 
to the penalties and entitled to the privileges 
and immunities provided in the Federal Trade 
Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). 
(b) ENFORCEMENT BY STATES.— 
(1) CIVIL ACTION.—Except as provided under 
paragraph (5), in any case in which the attorney 
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general of a State has reason to believe that an in-
terest of the residents of that State has been or is 
threatened or adversely affected by any person sub-
ject to a provision of section 4 or 5 or a regulation 
promulgated under this Act in a practice that vio-
lates such provision or regulation, the attorney gen-
eral of the State may, as parens patriae, bring a 
civil action on behalf of the residents of the State in 
an appropriate district court of the United States— 
(A) to enjoin further violation of such pro-
vision or regulation by such person; 
(B) to compel compliance with such provi-
sion or regulation; 
(C) to obtain damages, restitution, or other 
compensation on behalf of such residents; 
(D) to obtain such other relief as the court 
considers appropriate; or 
(E) to obtain civil penalties in the amount 
determined under paragraph (2). 
(2) CIVIL PENALTIES.— 
(A) CALCULATION.—For purposes of im-
posing a civil penalty under paragraph (1)(E), 
the amount determined under this paragraph is 
the amount calculated by multiplying the num-
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ber of separate violations of a rule by an 
amount not greater than $16,000. 
(B) ADJUSTMENT
FOR
INFLATION.—Be-
ginning on the date that the Consumer Price 
Index is first published by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics that is after 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter, 
the amount specified in subparagraph (A) shall 
be increased by the percentage increase in the 
Consumer Price Index published on that date 
from the Consumer Price Index published the 
previous year. 
(3) RIGHTS
OF
FEDERAL
TRADE
COMMIS-
SION.— 
(A) NOTICE TO FEDERAL TRADE COMMIS-
SION.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clause (iii), the attorney general of a 
State shall notify the Commission in writ-
ing that the attorney general intends to 
bring a civil action under paragraph (1) 
before initiating the civil action. 
(ii) CONTENTS.—The notification re-
quired by clause (i) with respect to a civil 
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action shall include a copy of the complaint 
to be filed to initiate the civil action. 
(iii) EXCEPTION.—If it is not feasible 
for the attorney general of a State to pro-
vide the notification required by clause (i) 
before initiating a civil action under para-
graph (1), the attorney general shall notify 
the Commission immediately upon insti-
tuting the civil action. 
(B) INTERVENTION
BY
FEDERAL
TRADE 
COMMISSION.—The Commission may— 
(i) intervene in any civil action 
brought by the attorney general of a State 
under paragraph (1); and 
(ii) upon intervening— 
(I) be heard on all matters aris-
ing in the civil action; and 
(II) file petitions for appeal of a 
decision in the civil action. 
(4) INVESTIGATORY POWERS.—Nothing in this 
subsection may be construed to prevent the attorney 
general of a State from exercising the powers con-
ferred on the attorney general by the laws of the 
State to conduct investigations, to administer oaths 
or affirmations, or to compel the attendance of wit-
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nesses or the production of documentary or other 
evidence. 
(5) PREEMPTIVE ACTION BY FEDERAL TRADE 
COMMISSION.—If the Commission institutes a civil 
action or an administrative action with respect to a 
violation of a provision of section 4 or 5 or a regula-
tion promulgated under this Act, the attorney gen-
eral of a State may not, during the pendency of such 
action, bring a civil action under paragraph (1) 
against any defendant named in the complaint of the 
Commission for the violation with respect to which 
the Commission instituted such action. 
(6) ACTIONS BY OTHER STATE OFFICIALS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In addition to civil ac-
tions brought by attorneys general under para-
graph (1), any other officer of a State who is 
authorized by the State to do so may bring a 
civil action under paragraph (1), subject to the 
same requirements and limitations that apply 
under this subsection to civil actions brought by 
attorneys general. 
(B) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this 
subsection may be construed to prohibit an au-
thorized official of a State from initiating or 
continuing any proceeding in a court of the 
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