(a) No Farm Credit institution may discourage or refuse to allow, receive, or consider any application, request, or inquiry regarding an eligible loan or other eligible credit service or discriminate in imposing conditions upon, or in processing, any such application, request, or inquiry on the basis of:

(1) Race, color, religion, sex, marital status, age (provided that the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract), or national origin, as prescribed under title VII (the Equal Credit Opportunity Act) of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, as amended by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act Amendments of 1976 (15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System's implementing regulation (12 CFR part 202); and

(2) Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or familial status, as prescribed under title VIII (the Fair Housing Act) of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's implementing regulations (24 CFR part 100).

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section shall apply whenever:

(1) An application is made for any such loan or other credit service; or

(2) A request is made for forms or papers to be used to make application for any such loan or other credit service; or

(3) An inquiry is made about the availability of such loan or other credit service.