SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2002 SESSION

026314544
SENATE BILL NO. 144
Offered January 9, 2002
Prefiled January 8, 2002
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-914.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to electronic preparation and transmittal of campaign finance disclosure reports; mandatory electronic filings.
----------

Patrons-- Ticer and Byrne; Delegates: Albo, Amundson, Devolites, Plum and Welch
----------
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 24.2-914.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 24.2-914.1. Standards and requirements for electronic preparation and transmittal of campaign finance disclosure reports; database.

A. The State Board of Elections shall review or cause to be developed and shall approve standards for the preparation, production, and transmittal by computer or electronic means of the reports of contributions and expenditures required by this article (§ 24.2-914 et seq.). The State Board may prescribe the method of execution and certification of electronically filed statements and the procedures for receiving statements in the office of the State Board or by the local electoral boards.

B. 1. The State Board shall accept any report of contributions and expenditures filed by candidates for the General Assembly, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board and using software meeting standards approved by it.

2. A local electoral board may accept reports of contributions and expenditures filed by computer or electronic means from any candidate or political committee that is required to file reports with that board. Such reports shall be filed in accordance with, and using software that meets, standards approved by the State Board. The electoral board shall promptly make the information that it accepts in this manner available to the public through the global information system known as the Internet.

3. The State Board may provide software to filers without charge or at a reasonable cost.

C. On and after January 1, 2001, the State Board shall enter or cause to be entered into a campaign finance database, available to the public through the global information system known as the Internet, the information from required reports of contributions and expenditures filed by computer, electronic, or other means by candidates for the General Assembly, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General.

D. Candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General shall file by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board the reports required by this article. Candidates for the General Assembly may file the reports required by this article with the State Board by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board. This information shall be made available to the public promptly by the State Board through the global information system known as the Internet.

E. Other committee reports required by this chapter to be filed with the State Board or a local electoral board, or both, may be filed electronically on terms agreed to by the committee and Board.

F. This subsection shall apply to any political committee that expends $50,000 or more in any twelve-month period beginning on and after July 1, 2002, to purchase television advertisements supporting or opposing the nomination or election of one or more clearly identified candidates. The political committee shall file the reports required by this article by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board. The State Board shall promptly make the statement of organization filed by the political committee pursuant to § 24.2-908 and the disclosure reports required by this article available to the public through the global information system known as the Internet. The political committee shall file a special disclosure report in the form prescribed by the State Board with the State Board within twenty-four hours of the airing of any television advertisement purchased by it that discloses the cost of the advertisement, and the State Board shall promptly post such reports on the Internet.