INCREASE IN PENALTIES.

SEC. 1552. INCREASE IN PENALTIES.Section 474 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting “(a)” before “Whoever” the first time it appears: (2) by striking “United States; or” at the end of the sixth undesignated paragraph and inserting “United States—”; (3) by striking the seventh undesignated paragraph; (4) by amending the last undesignated paragraph to read as follows: “Is guilty of a class C felony.”; and (5) by adding at the end thereof the following: “(b) For purposes of this section, the terms ‘plate’, ‘stone’, ‘thing’, or ‘other thing’ includes any electronic method used for the acquisition, recording, retrieval, transmission, or reproduction of any obligation or other security, unless such use is authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Secretary shall establish a system (pursuant to section 504) to ensure that the legitimate use of such electronic methods and retention of such reproductions by businesses, hobbyists, press and others shall not be unduly restricted.”.