HB973:

Campaign finance; prohibited personal use of campaign funds, complaints, hearings, civil penalty.

Bill Summary:

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 a candidate's campaign committee for their 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 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 excepts from "personal
use" 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 child care expenses that are incurred as a
direct result of campaign activity. Any person subject to the personal
use ban may request an advisory opinion from the State Board of Elections
on such matters. 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
provide an updated summary of Virginia campaign finance law that reflects
the Attorney General's opinion and any new regulations promulgated
by the State Board of Elections.