Campaign fundraising; legislative sessions; enforcement of civil penalty.
HB1576 would prohibit campaign fundraising for members of the General Assembly and statewide elected officials during regular legislative sessions. From the first day of a regular session until adjournment sine die, legislators, statewide officials, and their campaign committees could not solicit or accept contributions for their own campaigns or for any political committee, and donors or political committees could not make or promise such contributions during that period. The bill includes exceptions for a candidate’s own personal funds and for contributions to a candidate in a special election.
The bill also defines key terms such as “solicit,” “contribution,” “campaign committee,” and “statewide official,” and it creates a civil enforcement mechanism. Violations would be subject to a civil penalty equal to the prohibited contribution or promised contribution, or $500, whichever is greater. Enforcement would be handled by the attorney for the Commonwealth under the amended section, and under the new section by the Attorney General or outside counsel appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia in cases involving the Attorney General or his campaign committee. Any collected penalties would go to the state general fund.
HB1576 would amend existing Virginia campaign finance law in Title 24.2 by tightening restrictions on fundraising during regular legislative sessions and by adding a new civil penalty enforcement provision. It would directly affect members of the General Assembly, statewide officials, their campaign committees, donors, political committees, the State Board of Elections, the Attorney General, and local prosecutors. The bill would also create a special enforcement process when the Attorney General is the subject of the alleged violation, requiring outside counsel appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
The available voting history suggests the bill faced significant resistance in subcommittee, where it failed to be recommended for reporting by a 3-5 vote. No committee transcript is available, but the vote indicates limited support at that stage. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed as a reform measure aimed at limiting fundraising during session, but not one that advanced with broad consensus.
The main point of contention is likely the scope of the fundraising ban during regular sessions, especially whether it unduly restricts political activity, donor access, or campaign operations while the legislature is meeting. Another likely issue is enforcement: the bill assigns civil penalties and creates a reporting/enforcement structure involving the State Board, the Attorney General, local prosecutors, and outside counsel for cases involving the Attorney General, which may raise concerns about practicality, fairness, and conflicts of interest. The subcommittee’s negative vote indicates that at least some members opposed moving the bill forward, though no transcript is available to identify specific arguments.