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 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 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 was incorporated into HB 2165.
Sponsored bills
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 32.1 a chapter numbered 21, consisting of a section numbered 32.1-376, relating to contraception; right to access.
School boards; placement in alternative education programs; disclosure of certain information in delinquency cases. Requires the clerk of any court in which a disposition is entered or deferred in any proceeding where a student is charged with an offense that, pursuant to relevant law, is required to be disclosed to the superintendent of the school division in which the student is enrolled to, upon request of any such division superintendent, provide additional information that may be relevant to such student's placement in an alternative education program, including the circumstances surrounding the disposition or deferred disposition and any conditions ordered in relation to a deferred disposition. If the student is not enrolled in school at the time the disposition is entered or deferred, the clerk is required to send the additional information to the division superintendent of the school in which he was enrolled at the time of the offense, upon request of such division superintendent.
Human trafficking investigators; licensing by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Authorizes the Department of Criminal Justice Services to register and issue licenses for human trafficking investigators. The bill provides that a human trafficking investigator is a private investigator who is GSA compliant and engages in the business of, or accepts employment to make, investigations to obtain information on sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking as defined in the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and in the federal Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.
Maddy summaryThis resolution formally commends the Langley Flight Foundation for opening the "Langley Aerodrome Experience" at the Stafford Regional Airport. The exhibit features an exact replica of Samuel Pierpont Langley's historic aircraft, which achieved the first successful engine-driven flight in 1896. The foundation collaborated with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to develop the display and partnered with local schools to create educational programs for students. Additionally, the House of Delegates directed its clerk to prepare a copy of the resolution to present to the foundation as a gesture of appreciation.
Insurance; coverage for the diminished value of personal property. Requires any insurer who issues or delivers a new or renewal homeowner's insurance policy or a stand-alone policy that covers scheduled personal property in the Commonwealth to offer in writing a provision providing coverage for the diminution in the value of any such scheduled personal property, if the schedule provides for the repair of such property. Under the bill, the diminution in value of the personal property is the amount, if any, by which the market value of the personal property immediately following the completion of repair of the damage to the personal property is less than the market value of the personal property immediately prior to the damage and the change in market value is a direct result of damage from the covered loss. The provisions of the bill shall apply to every such policy that is issued, delivered, or renewed by an insurer licensed in the Commonwealth on or after July 1, 2025.
Eligibility for participation in community corrections alternative program; evaluation and diagnosis; referral to the Departmentof Corrections. Provides that a probation and parole officermay refer a defendant on probation to the Department of Correctionsfor evaluation and diagnosis to determine eligibility and suitabilityfor participation in the community corrections alternative programprior to the approval of the court. Under current law, such referralmay take place with the approval of the court. The bill also makestechnical amendments.
School boards; employment verification; timing. Requires each school board to respond within 10 working days of receiving a request for employment verification of a former employee of the school board when such verification is sought by another school board. The bill defines working day as every day except Saturdays, Sundays, and legal state and federal holidays. This bill is identical to SB 441.
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; blue catfish work group; report. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders in order to support and encourage coordination regarding efforts to create a robust and resilient market for blue catfish. The work group shall (i) review past and ongoing efforts to promote the creation of a market for blue catfish, (ii) identify and explore potential sectors for the blue catfish market, and (iii) identify any actions that the Commonwealth can take to promote and expand the market for blue catfish. The Department shall submit a report of the findings and recommendations of the work group to the Governor, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, and relevant committees of the General Assembly no later than September 1, 2025. This bill is identical to HB 1135.
Active-duty status for any service member injured while in the line of duty. Provides that the Adjutant General may maintain state active-duty status for any service member injured while in the line of duty during the course of a state active-duty mission who is unable to return to civilian employment for a period of up to 90 days after the date of the service member's injury.