# Virginia HB1686: Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions.

Virginia HB1686, Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-01-24 (Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB2165-Cole) (Voice Vote)) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1686-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB1686
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Last action: 2025-01-24, Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB2165-Cole) (Voice Vote)
- Sponsor: Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (0 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

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. 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 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 was incorporated into HB 2165.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-01-24 | House | Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB2165-Cole) (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-22 | House | Subcommittee recommends incorporating into HB2165-Cole (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |

## Actions (7)

- 2025-01-24: Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB2165-Cole) (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2025-01-22: Subcommittee recommends incorporating into HB2165-Cole (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2025-01-21: Assigned PE sub: Campaign Finance (House)
- 2025-01-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1686) (House)
- 2025-01-10: Impact statement from VCSC (HB1686) (House)
- 2025-01-03: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House)
- 2025-01-03: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25101199D (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced, 2025-01-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012616.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012615.PDF)

## Related bills

- HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted)
- SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed)
- HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed)
- HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed)
- SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed)
- HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor)

## Sources
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012616.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1012615.PDF)

## Related
- [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025)
- [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025)
- [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025)
- [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025)
- [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025)
- [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1686-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).