Adds a definition of "personal use" and prohibits the use of contributions, or conversions of items acquired using contributions, to a candidate or campaign committee for a strictly personal purpose with no intended, reasonable, or foreseeable benefit to the candidate's campaign or public office. Complaints of alleged violations may be made to the State Board of Elections (State Board) by any person who contributed to the candidate or candidate's campaign committee. The subject of the complaint has 30 days to either (i) reimburse the campaign committee the complained-of amount or (ii) provide to the State Board documentation or other evidence that the use of the campaign funds had an intended, reasonable, or foreseeable benefit to the campaign or the candidate's public office. If the subject of the complaint provides such documentation or other evidence, the State Board shall review the response made by the subject of the complaint, and determine whether the use of campaign funds had any intended, reasonable, or foreseeable benefit to the campaign or the candidate's public office. The bill amends the Freedom of Information Act to allow closed meetings for the State Board to review such complaints. If the State Board determines that there were no intended, reasonable, or foreseeable benefits and the complained-of amount has not been reimbursed, it shall call a public hearing. If the complaining party declines to participate in the hearing, the complaint shall be dismissed. A person found by a unanimous vote of the State Board to have willfully and knowingly violated the prohibition on personal use of campaign contributions must repay to the campaign committee the amount unlawfully converted to the personal use of the candidate or a member of the candidate's immediate family and must return to the complaining party the full amount of the complaining party's contribution to the campaign. The State Board may also assess an additional civil penalty, in an amount not to exceed $ 250. The person found to be in violation may seek review under the Administrative Process Act. The bill authorizes the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council (Council) to issue formal advisory opinions regarding the provisions governing the personal use of campaign funds pursuant to the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.). A person who has relied on such an opinion in good faith after he provides full disclosure of the facts will not be subject to the penalties outlined in the bill. In addition, the Council will be required to develop and publish guidance on the provisions of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act that prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. The bill has an effective date of July 1, 2019.
Sponsored bills
The resolution is the recommendation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission. The resolution incorporates
Provides that in localities in which the treasurer or director of finance has entered into an agreement with the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles for the Commissioner to refuse to issue or renew vehicle registrations for persons with certain delinquent taxes or fees, the Commissioner may issue an initial registration for a period of up to 90 days for vehicles purchased subsequent to an enforcement action to allow the applicant to satisfy all applicable requirements, provided that the applicant pays a fee sufficient for the registration period.
Provides that the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, the Department of Health Professions, the Board of Accountancy, and the Board of Education shall not be authorized to suspend or revoke the license, certificate, registration, permit, or authority it has issued to any person who is in default or delinquent in the payment of a federal-guaranteed or state-guaranteed educational loan or work-conditional scholarship solely on the basis of such default or delinquency.
Creates an office of the inspector general for the City of Richmond. The inspector general shall be appointed by the council, and the duties of the inspector general shall be to conduct such investigations as are authorized by the Code of Virginia for a local government auditor. The bill authorizes the inspector general, in the conduct of such investigation, to order the attendance of any person as a witness and the production by any person of all relevant books and papers. The bill also authorizes the city auditor to appoint such accountants and other assistants for the performance of the duties of the city auditor's office as the council may provide for and sets out the duty of the city auditor to examine and audit all accounts, books, records, and financial transactions of the city, and of any department, board, commission, office, or agency thereof, including all trust funds, special funds, and other funds. This bill is identical to
Makes clarifying changes to language that provides that the town shall vote on a proposed ordinance two times and that an ordinance may only be passed at the same meeting at which the public hearing is held unless the agenda for such meeting indicates that the ordinance will not be acted on at the meeting.