SJR 393
Joint Subcommittee on
Campaign Finance Reform
December
3, 2001, Fairfax
Public Hearing
Representatives of the League
of Women Voters, Common Cause of Virginia, the Center for Open, Ethical,
and Accountable Government, and the American Association of University
Women joined one citizen speaker in supporting campaign contribution limits,
random audits of a percentage of candidate campaign reports, prompt reporting
of campaign contributions and expenditures, and an election day holiday.
December
12, 2001, Richmond
Public Hearing
The joint subcommittee heard
views from one citizen speaker and representatives of the Interfaith Council,
Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, and the League of Women Voters. The
speakers unanimously advocated adoption of some form of contribution limits
to curtail special interest influence (perceived and actual), and one
or more speakers supported stand-by-your-ad legislation, an improved process
for restoration of civil rights, audits of campaign finance reports, and
actions to increase voter turnout.
Speakers noted that the mandate
for the joint subcommittee was broad and that the proposals on the agenda
for the work session to follow were more limited in scope than desirable.
Work Session
The members of the joint subcommittee
discussed a number of items that they had reviewed at the August work
session and reached agreement that they would recommend the following
bills to the 2002 Session to amend the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act:
Record retention requirements
and reviews of campaign finance disclosure reports. Provides
that (i) the State Board of Elections shall review the campaign finance
reports of candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General
and 10 percent of the candidates for the General Assembly selected at
random; (ii) the review shall be for the purposes of (a) reconciling
the balance in the campaign depository with the amounts reported in
the candidate’s reports of receipts and expenditures and (b) reviewing
the reports for mathematical accuracy and factual completeness including
the reporting of specific information required by law; (iii) the board
shall meet publicly to select on a random basis by a drawing the General
Assembly candidate campaigns to review; (iv) a campaign committee shall
be exempt from review if it has received less than $25,000 in contributions;
and (v) the campaign treasurer shall retain, and provide on request
by the board, the bank statements and copies of checks issued on campaign
depositories and receipts for campaign fund expenditures greater than
$500. The bill will take effect January 1, 2004.
Elections to which the
act applies. Expands coverage of the act to town elections in
towns of 10,000 or more population. The present law applies only
to towns of 25,000 or more population (Blacksburg and Leesburg). Towns
of 10,000 or more include the towns of Herndon, Christiansburg, Vienna,
and Front Royal.
Schedule for political
committee disclosure reports. Sets out a single annual schedule
for filing reports by PACs and political committees of six reports a
year. Present law requires committees to comply with different candidate
filing schedules for May and November elections depending on whether
the committee is involved in a May or November election, or possibly
both.
Depositories and checks;
reimbursements of expenses. Permits the reimbursement, by a check
drawn on the campaign depository, of expenses paid by the candidate,
treasurer, or other authorized member of the campaign staff when the
amount of the reimbursement does not exceed $1,000 and the expenses
being reimbursed are fully documented in compliance with the reporting
requirements of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act.
Mandatory electronic filing
of reports. Requires General Assembly candidates who receive
more than $10,000 in contributions to file campaign finance reports
electronically in accordance with State Board of Elections standards
and requires political committees (including PACs and political party
committees subject to the act’s reporting requirements) that receive
more than $25,000 in contributions to file campaign finance reports
electronically in accordance with State Board of Elections standards.
The Honorable S. Chris Jones,
Chairman
Legislative Services contact:
Mary Spain
THE
RECORD
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