VirginiaHB21652025 Regular SessionHouse

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, etc.

Sponsored By: Joshua G. Cole (Democratic)

To Governor

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 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 incorporates HB 1686 and is identical to SB 1002.

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Bill Overview

No Economic Impacts Identified for this Bill

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Joshua G. Cole

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 353 • No: 1

Senate vote • 2/19/2025

Passed Senate

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/17/2025

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/14/2025

Reported from Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/11/2025

Reported from Privileges and Elections and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

Yes: 14 • No: 1

House vote • 2/4/2025

Passed House Block Vote

Yes: 99 • No: 0

House vote • 2/4/2025

Read third time and passed House Block Vote

Yes: 97 • No: 0

House vote • 1/31/2025

Reported from Appropriations

Yes: 22 • No: 0

House vote • 1/27/2025

Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute and referred to Appropriations

Yes: 20 • No: 0

House vote • 1/22/2025

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

Yes: 8 • No: 0 • Other: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0535)

    3/24/2025Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 535 (Effective 07/01/26)

    3/24/2025Governor
  3. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2165)

    3/11/2025House
  4. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025

    3/11/2025Governor
  5. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025

    3/11/2025House
  6. Signed by President

    3/10/2025Senate
  7. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2165ER)

    3/7/2025House
  8. Enrolled

    3/7/2025House
  9. Signed by Speaker

    3/7/2025House
  10. Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)

    2/19/2025Senate
  11. Read third time

    2/19/2025Senate
  12. Passed by for the day

    2/18/2025Senate
  13. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N)

    2/17/2025Senate
  14. Passed by for the day

    2/17/2025Senate
  15. Rules suspended

    2/17/2025Senate
  16. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

    2/14/2025Senate
  17. Reported from Privileges and Elections and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 1-N)

    2/11/2025Senate
  18. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2165)

    2/6/2025House
  19. Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

    2/5/2025Senate
  20. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

    2/5/2025Senate
  21. Passed House Block Vote (99-Y 0-N)

    2/4/2025House
  22. Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

    2/4/2025House
  23. Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N)

    2/4/2025House
  24. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    2/3/2025House
  25. Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to

    2/3/2025House

Bill Text

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