SB 1469 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Campaign finance; campaign contribution limits, civil penalty.

Summary
Campaign finance; campaign contribution limits; civil penalty. Prohibits persons from making any single contribution, or any combination of contributions, that exceeds $5,000 to any one candidate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or the Senate of Virginia or $3,000 to any one candidate for the House of Delegates in any one election cycle. The bill does not place any limits on in-kind contributions to such candidates from political party committees. The bill establishes thresholds for any candidates making contributions to their own campaign in excess of $400,000 in a race for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or the Senate of Virginia or $200,000 in a race for House of Delegates. The bill also prohibits persons from making any single contribution, or any combination of contributions, that exceeds $10,000 to any one political committee in any calendar year. Civil penalties for violations of the limits established by the bill may equal up to two times the excess contribution amounts. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026.
Bill status failed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Jan 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Senator VanValkenburg, Schuyler T. Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to significantly increase campaign contribution limits across all office types and add more detailed breakdowns for different offices. The original version had uniform limits, while the substitute version differentiates between statewide offices and the House of Delegates, with higher caps for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Senate candidates compared to House of Delegates candidates.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from uniform contribution limits to differentiated limits based on office sought, with higher caps for statewide offices and lower caps for the House of Delegates.
FISCAL

Campaign contribution limits for statewide offices increased from $5,000 to $50,000 for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General; Senate limits increased from $3,000 to $40,000; House of Delegates limits increased from $3,000 to $25,000.

Political committee contribution limits increased from $10,000 to $50,000 per calendar year.

Self-funding thresholds for candidates were not explicitly changed in the visible text, but the contribution limit increases would affect when candidates need to file special reports.

DEFINITION

Added specific dollar amounts for each office type in the contribution limits section, replacing the previous uniform $5,000/$3,000 structure.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 30, 2025

How they voted

390
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Jan 30, 2025
D Democratic21
20 Yea 1
95% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
13
Key actions
4
Committee
2
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Privileges and Elections (8-Y 7-N)
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
upper
Jan 17, 2025
Introduced
Presented and ordered printed 25101162D
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Creigh Deeds
Creigh Deeds
DDemocratic
VA
11