VirginiaCampaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, etc.
What it does
Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions. Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee.
More detail
The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's dependent care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. This bill is identical to HB 2165.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Mar 24Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0537)Latest
- Mar 24Approved by Governor Glenn Youngkin-Chapter 537 (Effective 07/01/26)Became Law
- Mar 11Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1002)
- Mar 11Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025To Governor
- Mar 11Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025Minor
- Mar 10Signed by PresidentMajor
- Mar 7Signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 7Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1002ER)Major
- Mar 7EnrolledMinor
- Feb 19Passed House (97-Y 0-N)Passed House
- Vote recorded Passed House (97-Y 0-N). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 19Read third timeMinor
- Feb 18Read second timeMinor
- Feb 14Reported from Privileges and Elections (22-Y 0-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections (22-Y 0-N). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 7Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Feb 7Read first timeMinor
- Feb 7Placed on Calendar
- Feb 4Passed Senate (36-Y 4-N)Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passed Senate (36-Y 4-N). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 4Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N)
- Feb 4Rules suspended
- Feb 4Read second time and engrossedMinor
- Feb 3Passed by for the day
- Vote recorded Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 3Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N)
- Feb 3Rules suspended
- Jan 30Reported from Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 0-N 4-A)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 0-N 4-A). Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 28Reported from Privileges and Elections and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 2-N)Minor
- Vote recorded Reported from Privileges and Elections and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 2-N). Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 10Impact statement from VCSC (SB1002)
- Jan 7Referred to Committee on Privileges and ElectionsMinor
- Jan 7Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25104176DIntroduced