HB 5221
Relating to increasing the civil penalties for failure to file required campaign finance reports
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- Passed House of Delegates
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill increases the civil penalties for failing to file required campaign finance reports in West Virginia. Specifically, the penalty for a first violation is capped at $500, and for subsequent violations, it can reach $1,000 per report. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to provide notice to political committees before imposing fines, allows for additional compliance time, and enables negotiation of payment plans. Finally, it outlines a process for referring unpaid penalties to debt collection agencies.
Key provisions
- Increases the first civil penalty for failure to file to $500 and subsequent violations to $1,000 per report.
- Requires written notice to political committees before assessing penalties.
- Authorizes the Secretary of State to grant additional time for compliance (up to 14 days).
- Permits negotiation of installment payment plans for civil penalties.
- Mandates referral of unpaid penalties to debt collection agencies after 30 days.
- Specifies that penalties are payable to the State of West Virginia.
- Requires a list of late filers to be published online for at least five years.
- Disqualifies candidates who fail to file statements before a certain deadline.
Who is affected
- Political Committees
- Candidates
- Financial Agents
- Treasurers of Political Committees
- West Virginia State Government (Secretary of State, County Clerks, Debt Collection Agencies)
Notable changes
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