(a) This Section applies only to municipalities having 500,000 or more inhabitants.
     (b) If a person is a legal or beneficial owner of a building containing rooms or groups of rooms used or intended to be used as housekeeping units for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating and rented to persons for those purposes and if a court or municipal officer or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction determines that the owner has violated a municipal ordinance or code that establishes construction, plumbing, heating, electrical, fire prevention, sanitation, or other health and safety standards that are applicable to such buildings, then, in addition to any other action authorized by law, the court, officer, or agency may offer the owner the option of attending a program designed to encourage the owner’s compliance with all municipal ordinances and codes applicable to such buildings. The municipality may prepare and present the program or may contract with a public or private entity for that purpose. If the owner states to the court, officer, or agency that he or she intends to attend the program but then does not attend the program, then the court, officer, or agency may impose against the owner a fine of twice the amount that would have been imposed if the owner had not stated an intention to attend the program, except that the total fine may not exceed the maximum amount authorized by law.