Campaign finance; prohibited contributions to candidates.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was defeated and did not become law.

Ban on Public Utility Contributions to Candidates

This law stops candidates and their committees from getting money from public utilities.

What This Bill Does

• Bans candidates, campaign committees, and political committees from asking for or receiving money from public utilities.
• Does not allow public utilities or political action committees established by such public utilities to give money to any candidate, committee, or group that supports a candidate.
• Allows employees of a public utility to form their own political action committee (PAC) but stops the public utility itself from funding it.

Who It Names or Affects

• Candidates and their campaign committees
• Political committees supporting candidates
• Public utilities and their subsidiaries or parent companies

Terms To Know

public utility

A company that provides essential services like electricity, water, or gas to the public.

political action committee (PAC)

An organization that collects money from people and gives it to political candidates or parties.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not stop employees of a public utility from forming their own PAC, as long as the public utility itself doesn't fund it.
• It's unclear how strictly this ban will be enforced or what penalties might apply for breaking it.

Official Summary Text

Campaign finance; prohibited contributions to candidates.
Prohibits candidates, campaign committees, and political committees from soliciting or accepting contributions from any public utility, as defined in relevant law, and prohibits any public utility or political action committee established by such public utility from making any such contribution. The bill also provides that its provisions shall not be construed to prohibit the solicitation or acceptance of contributions from a political action committee established by the employees of a public utility. Under the bill, such political action committee may be administered by the public utility so long as no general treasury funds of the public utility are used for the purposes of making contributions to any candidate, campaign committee, or political committee.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
24.2-947.4:2
, relating to campaign finance; prohibited contributions to candidates.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
24.2-947.4:2
as follows:

§
24.2-947.4:2
. Prohibited contributions to candidates; public utility.

A.
For the purposes of this section, "public utility" means any public utility as defined in §
56-232
and includes any subsidiary or parent company of such a public utility.

B.
No candidate, campaign committee, or political committee shall solicit or accept a contribution from any public utility, nor shall a public utility or political
action
committee established by such public utility make any such contribution.
This section shall not be construed to prohibit the soli
citation or acceptance of contributions from a political action committee established by the employees
of
a public utility. Such
p
olitical
action committee may be administered by the public utility so long as no general treasury funds of the public utility are used for the purposes of making
contributions to any candidate, campaign committee, or political committee.