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HB44 • 2026

Elections; campaign finance disclosure reports, searchable electronic database.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 24.2-946.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to elections; campaign finance disclosure reports; searchable electronic database.</p>

Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Krizek
Last action
2026-02-18
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify if users can manipulate or export data beyond searching and sorting information.

Campaign Finance Reports Database

This bill requires the Department of Elections to create an online system for searching and sorting campaign finance information.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Elections to make a searchable electronic database for campaign finance reports.
  • Allows users to search for candidates, elections, offices, committees, spenders, and contributors in the database.
  • Enables users to sort through different types of financial information like contributions, receipts, disbursements, expenditures, loans, and other categories.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Elections
  • Campaigns and political committees
  • Individual candidates
  • Contributors to campaigns

Terms To Know

campaign finance disclosure reports
Documents that show how much money a campaign or candidate has raised and spent.
searchable electronic database
A digital system where people can look up information easily by typing in keywords.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill specifies that the new system will be available starting January 1, 2028.
  • The effective date of the bill's provisions has been delayed to January 1, 2028.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB44AHC2

2026-01-30 • Committee

General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the date when certain campaign finance disclosure reports must be made available in a searchable electronic database.

  • Changes the start date for making campaign finance disclosure reports available in an electronic database from July to January.
  • Updates the year for when these reports should first be available online, changing it from 2027 to 2028.
HB44AHC1

2026-02-02 • Committee

Appropriations Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the date when certain campaign finance disclosure reports must be made available in a searchable electronic database.

  • Changes the deadline for making campaign finance disclosure reports available from July to January.
  • Updates the year from 2027 to 2028 for when these reports are due.
  • The exact nature and content of the reports being referred to is not detailed in this amendment text.
HB44AH1

2026-02-03 • Committee

Appropriations Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the date when certain campaign finance disclosure reports must be made available in a searchable electronic database.

  • Changes the deadline for making campaign finance disclosure reports available from July to January.
  • Updates the year from 2027 to 2028 for when these reports are due.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-18 House

    Left in Committee Appropriations

  2. 2026-02-18 House

    Left in Committee Communications, Technology and Innovation

  3. 2026-02-05 House

    Motion to rerefer to Appropriations agreed to

  4. 2026-02-05 Appropriations

    Rereferred to Appropriations

  5. 2026-02-04 House

    Read first time

  6. 2026-02-02 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)

  7. 2026-02-02 House

    House committee offered

  8. 2026-01-30 General Government and Capital Outlay

    House subcommittee offered

  9. 2026-01-30 General Government and Capital Outlay

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 0-N)

  10. 2026-01-26 General Government and Capital Outlay

    Assigned HAPP sub: General Government and Capital Outlay

  11. 2026-01-23 Privileges and Elections

    Reported from Privileges and Elections and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  12. 2026-01-20 Campaigns and Candidates

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)

  13. 2026-01-20 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB44)

  14. 2026-01-19 Campaigns and Candidates

    Assigned HPE sub: Campaign and Candidates

  15. 2025-12-24 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100534D

  16. 2025-12-24 Privileges and Elections

    Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections

Official Summary Text

Elections; campaign finance disclosure reports; searchable electronic database.
Requires the Department of Elections to provide an interface for the campaign finance database maintained by the Department that allows users to easily search for and sort information by individual candidates and types of elections, offices, committees, other spenders, and contributors; contributions, receipts, disbursements, expenditures, loans, and other categories of information included in campaign finance reports; and late filings, incomplete filings, and other violations. The bill specifies that the interface shall also provide users tools for manipulating and exporting data. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 44

APPROPRIATIONS

1. Line 42, introduced, after
on

strike

July

insert

January

APPROPRIATIONS

2. Line 42, introduced, after
1,

strike

2027

insert

2028