SB 577 — Campaign finance; exemption for candidates for certain office or directors.

SESSION ENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY ––-- 2024 SESSION CHAPTER E124 An Act to amend and reenact §§ 24.2-948.1 and 24.2-948.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Nelections; conservation districts.ance;

exemptioncampaign forfinance; candidates for local office or directors of soil Rnd water O [S 577] L Approved L Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

Eexemption 1.for candidates for local office or directors of soil and water conservation districts.

That[S §§577] 24.2-948.1Approved andMarch 24.2-948.220, of2024 theBe Codeit ofenacted Virginiaby arethe amendedGeneral andAssembly reenactedof asVirginia: D fol§ 24.2-948.1.

1.

That §§ 24.2-948.1 and 24.2-948.2 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 24.2-948.1.

This section shall apply to candidates for local office and for director of soil and water conservationmay districts.seek an exemption from the requirements for filing campaign finance disclosure reports set out in district this chapter except for the filing requirements of §§ 24.2-945.2, 24.2-947.1, 24.2-947.9, and 24.2-948.4 pertaining to certain independent expenditures, the statement of organization, large contributions, and the filing of a final report.

AThe candidaterequest for localan officeexemption orshall forbe directorfiled ofwith athe soilgeneral andregistrar waterof conservationthe districtcounty mayor seekcity anwhere exemptionthe fromcandidate theresides requirementson fora filingform campaignprescribed financeby disclosurethe reportsState setBoard outand in thisaccordance chapterwith exceptinstructions forby the filingState requirementsBoard offor §§the 24.2-945.2,time 24.2-947.1,for 24.2-947.9,filing and 24.2-948.4 pertaining to certain independent expenditures, the statementprocess offor organization,approval largeby contributiBns, and the filinggeneral ofregistrar. a final report.

TheB. request for an exemption shall be filed with the general registra7 of the with instructions by the State Board for the time for filing and the process for approval by thE general registrar.

R B.

A candidate may rescind his certification and exemption at any time during the campaign and shall file in accordance with the appropriate filing schedule thereafter, provided that the candidate rescinds his in certification prior to engaging in the activities described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of this subsection.

A candidate for director of a soil and water conservation district may also seek an exemption from the requirement that he designate a separate campaign depository pursuant to § 24.2-947.1 by certifying, on the same form as provided for other exemptions in subsection A, that (i) he has not and will not contribute any money to his own campaign and (ii) he has not and will not expend any money in A candidate may rescind his certification and exemption at any time during the campaigncourse andof shall file in accordance with the appropriatecampaign. filing schedule thereafter, provided that the candidate rescinds his certification prior to engaging in the activities described in clauses (i) and (ii).

A candidate may rescind his certification and exemption at any time during the campaign and shall file in accordance with the appropriate filing schedule thereafter, provided that the candidate rescinds his certification prior to engaging in the activities described in clauses (i) and (ii).

No officer authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth to issue certificates of election shall issue one haveto beenany filedperson asdetermined requiredto inbe thiselected chapter.yto any such office, until copies of the final report cited above D.have been filed as required in this chapter.

D.

No person shall be permitted to qualify for any office, enter upon the duties thereof, or receive any salary or emoluments therefrom until he has filed the campaign finance reports required in subdivisions BA 13 andthrough BA 29 of § 24.2-947.8,24.2-947.6; as applicable;

subdivisions A 3 through A 6 of § 24.2-947.7;

and subdivisions B 1 and B 2 of § 24.2-947.8, as applicable;

and has responded to and complied with any notice that additional information is of 2 required to complete a report in compliance with § 24.2-953.3.

No person shall be permitted to qualify for any office, enter upon the duties thereof, or receive any salary or emoluments therefrom until he has of 2 paid any civil penalty and returned any contribution required to be returned pursuant to § 24.2-953.5.