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1998 SESSION

982783106
HOUSE BILL NO. 588
Offered January 21, 1998
A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-914.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to campaign finance disclosure reports; electronic filings; Internet access to reports.
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Patrons-- Albo, Abbitt, Brink, Bryant, Councill, Devolites, Katzen, Keating, Landes, Nixon, O'Brien, Plum, Robinson, Van Landingham and Watts; Senators: Barry, Gartlan, Howell and Ticer
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Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
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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. By January 1, 1998, 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. 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.

B. Prior to January 1, 1999, the State Board may accept, and on and after January 1, 1999, 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. The State Board may provide software to filers without charge or at a reasonable cost.

C. After On and after January 1, 1999, 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 electronically by computer or electronic means by candidates for the General Assembly, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General and may enter or cause to be entered into that database information from required disclosure statements filed by those candidates by other methods.

D. On and after January 1, 1999, candidates for the General Assembly, 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 (§ 24.2-914 et seq.). On and after January 1, 1999, candidates for the General Assembly, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General shall file by computer or electronic means in accordance with the standards approved by the State Board reports of campaign contributions received on a continuous basis. The candidate shall file within seventy-two hours of the receipt of any contribution the information required by this article. This information shall be made available to the public promptly through the global information system known as the Internet. The information on contributions shall be accumulated into periodic reports in accordance with standards and formats prescribed by the State Board to meet the requirements of this article and the periodic reports of contributions and expenditures required by this article shall be made available to the public promptly through the global information system known as the Internet.

E. Other committee reports required by this chapter to be filed with the Board may be filed electronically on terms agreed to by the committee and Board.