# Virginia HB2479: Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty. Virginia HB2479, Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Mark D. Sickles (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-04-02 (House sustained Governor's veto) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB2479-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB2479 - State: Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty. - Status: failed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-08 - Last action: 2025-04-02, House sustained Governor's veto - Sponsor: Mark D. Sickles (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 9 (307 yes, 177 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Elections; political campaign advertisements; synthetic media; penalty. Prohibits electioneering communications containing synthetic media, as those terms are defined in the bill, from being published or broadcast without containing the following conspicuously displayed statement: "This message contains synthetic media that has been altered from its original source or artificially generated and may present conduct or speech that did not occur." The bill creates a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 for a violation of such prohibition and, for a willful violation, a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill permits any registered voter who receives an electioneering communication in violation of this requirement to institute an action for preventative relief to prohibit the publication or dissemination of such electioneering communication, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction. This bill is identical to SB 775. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mark D. Sickles (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-22 | Senate | Conference report agreed to by Senate | pass | 23 | 17 | | | 2025-02-22 | House | Conference report agreed to by House | pass | 76 | 22 | | | 2025-02-19 | Senate | Senate insisted on substitute | pass | 38 | 2 | | | 2025-02-18 | House | Senate substitute rejected by House | fail | 0 | 96 | | | 2025-02-14 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 23 | 13 | | | 2025-02-13 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-02-11 | Senate | Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute | pass | 8 | 7 | | | 2025-02-04 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 80 | 18 | | | 2025-01-31 | House | Reported from Privileges and Elections | pass | 19 | 2 | | ## Actions (43) - 2025-04-02: House sustained Governor's veto (House) - 2025-03-24: Vetoed by Governor (Governor) - 2025-03-11: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor) - 2025-03-11: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 (House) - 2025-03-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2479) (House) - 2025-03-10: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2479ER) (House) - 2025-03-07: Enrolled (House) - 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2479) (House) - 2025-02-22: Conference report agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-22: Conference substitute printed 25108005D-H1 (House) - 2025-02-22: Amended by conference committee - 2025-02-22: Conference report agreed to by House (76-Y 22-N) (House) - 2025-02-22: Passed by temporarily (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Senators: Surovell, VanValkenburg, Suetterlein (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Delegates: Sickles, Simon, Ballard (House) - 2025-02-20: Conferees appointed by House (House) - 2025-02-20: Conferees appointed by Senate (Senate) - 2025-02-20: House acceded to request (House) - 2025-02-19: Senate insisted on substitute (38-Y 2-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-19: Senate requested conference committee (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2479) (House) - 2025-02-18: Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 96-N) (House) - 2025-02-14: Passed Senate with substitute (23-Y 13-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Read third time (Senate) - 2025-02-14: Reading of substitute waived (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Committee substitute printed 25107190D-S1 (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute (8-Y 7-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Read third time and passed House (80-Y 18-N) (House) - 2025-02-03: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2025-02-02: Read first time (House) - 2025-01-31: Reported from Privileges and Elections (19-Y 2-N) (House) - 2025-01-30: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2479) (House) - 2025-01-08: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections (House) - 2025-01-08: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25101139D (House) ## Bill text - Veto Explanation, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073270.HTML) - Enrolled, 2025-03-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1069261.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1069260.PDF) - Conference Report, 2025-02-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1067589.HTML) - Substitute, 2025-02-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1067592.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1067591.PDF) - Substitute, 2025-02-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047658.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047657.PDF) - Substitute, 2025-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047564.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047563.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-01-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1016516.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1016515.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 - [Veto Explanation (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1073270.HTML) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1069261.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1069260.PDF) - [Conference Report (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1067589.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1067592.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1067591.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047658.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047657.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047564.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1047563.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1016516.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1016515.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) - [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills) - [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB2479-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).