HB2165
Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, etc.
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds; complaints, hearings, civil penalty, and advisory opinions.
Prohibits any person from converting contributions to a candidate or his campaign committee for personal use. Current law only prohibits such conversion of contributions with regard to disbursement of surplus funds at the dissolution of a campaign or political committee. The bill provides that a contribution is considered to have ... (More) been converted to personal use if the contribution, in whole or in part, is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense that would exist irrespective of the person's seeking, holding, or maintaining public office but allows a contribution to be used for the ordinary and accepted expenses related to campaigning for or holding elective office, including the use of campaign funds to pay for the candidate's dependent care expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. The bill provides that any person subject to the personal use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections on such matters. The foregoing provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026. The bill directs the State Board of Elections to adopt emergency regulations similar to those promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to implement the provisions of the bill and to publish an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects the State Board of Elections' and Attorney General's guidance on the provisions of such law that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds and any new regulations promulgated by the State Board of Elections. This bill incorporates HB 1686 and is identical to SB 1002. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/07/2025 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25104173D
- 01/07/2025 - House: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
- 01/21/2025 - House: Assigned PE sub: Campaign Finance
- 01/21/2025 - House: Placed on Privileges and Elections Agenda
- 01/21/2025 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2165)
- 01/22/2025 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N)
- 01/23/2025 - House: Placed on Privileges and Elections Agenda
- 01/24/2025 - House: Placed on Privileges and Elections Agenda
- 01/24/2025 - House: Incorporates HB1686 (Convirs-Fowler)
- 01/27/2025 - House: Reported from Privileges and Elections with substitute and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 0-N)
- 01/27/2025 - House: Committee substitute printed 25105742D-H1
- 01/27/2025 - House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
- 01/30/2025 - House: Assigned Approps sub: General Government and Capital Outlay
- 01/30/2025 - House: Placed on Appropriations Agenda
- 01/31/2025 - House: Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
- 02/02/2025 - House: Read first time
- 02/03/2025 - House: Read second time
- 02/03/2025 - House: Privileges and Elections Substitute agreed to
- 02/03/2025 - House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- 02/04/2025 - House: Read third time and passed House (97-Y 0-N)
- 02/04/2025 - House: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
- 02/04/2025 - House: Passed House (99-Y 0-N)
- 02/05/2025 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/05/2025 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
- 02/06/2025 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2165)
- 02/11/2025 - Senate: Reported from Privileges and Elections and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 1-N)
- 02/11/2025 - Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
- 02/14/2025 - Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
- 02/17/2025 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/17/2025 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N)
- 02/17/2025 - Senate: Passed by for the day
- 02/18/2025 - Senate: Passed by for the day
- 02/19/2025 - Senate: Read third time
- 02/19/2025 - Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
- 03/07/2025 - House: Enrolled
- 03/07/2025 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2165ER)
- 03/07/2025 - House: Signed by Speaker
- 03/10/2025 - Senate: Signed by President
- 03/11/2025 - House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025
- 03/11/2025 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025
- 03/11/2025 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2165)
- 03/24/2025 - Approved by Governor-Chapter 535 (Effective 07/01/26)
- 03/24/2025 - Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0535)
