SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2007 SESSION

075253780
SENATE BILL NO. 1015
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 9, 2007
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-946.1 and 24.2-947.5 of the Code of Virginia, relating to campaign finance disclosure; filings of candidate reports.
----------
Patron-- Norment
----------
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That §§ 24.2-946.1 and 24.2-947.5 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 24.2-946.1. Standards and requirements for electronic preparation and transmittal of campaign finance disclosure reports; database.

A. The State Board shall review or cause to be developed and shall approve standards for the preparation, production, and transmittal by computer or electronic means of campaign finance reports required by this chapter. The State Board may prescribe the method of execution and certification of and the procedures for receiving electronically filed campaign finance reports required by this chapter in the office of the State Board or any local electoral board. The State Board may provide campaign finance report-creation software to filers without charge or at a reasonable cost.

B. The State Board shall accept any campaign finance report filed by candidates for the General Assembly and statewide office by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the Board and using software meeting standards approved by it. This information shall be made available to the public promptly by the Board through the Internet.

C. A local electoral board may accept campaign finance reports filed by computer or electronic means from any candidate or political committee that is required to file reports with that board. By July 1, 2007, the State Board of Elections shall develop and implement a centralized system to accept reports from any candidate for local office. Such reports shall be filed in accordance with, and using software that meets, standards approved by the State Board. The electoral board State Board shall promptly notify the electoral board in the locality where a candidate resides and make the information that it accepts in this manner available to the public through the Internet contained in the report available to the electoral board.

D. The State Board shall enter or cause to be entered into a campaign finance database, available to the public through the Internet, the information from required campaign finance reports filed by computer, electronic, or other means by candidates for the General Assembly and statewide office.

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

§ 24.2-947.5. With whom candidates file reports.

A. Candidates for statewide office shall file the reports required by this article by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board.

B. Candidates for the General Assembly may file reports required by this article with the State Board by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board. Nonelectronic reports for the General Assembly shall be filed with the State Board and with the electoral board of the locality where the candidate resides.

C. Except as provided in § 24.2-948.1, candidates for any other office who file reports in nonelectronic format shall file with the electoral board of the locality in which the candidate resides. Beginning July 1, 2007, candidates for local office may file reports required by this article with the State Board by computer or electronic means in accordance with standards approved by the State Board. Candidates who file by electronic means with the State Board do not have to file reports with the electoral board of the locality in which the candidate resides.

D. Any report that may be filed with the State Board by mail shall be (i) received by the State Board by the deadline for filing the report or (ii) transmitted to the State Board by telephonic transmission to a facsimile device by the deadline for filing the report with an original copy of the report mailed to the State Board and postmarked by the deadline for filing the report.