This bill aims to amend the Code of West Virginia regarding campaign finance report compliance by significantly increasing civil penalties for violations. Specifically, it raises the fines for failing to file required reports or for submitting grossly incomplete or inaccurate reports from $10 per day to a maximum of $500 for the first violation, and $1,000 per report for subsequent violations. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Secretary of State must provide written notice to political committees of any violations before imposing fines, allowing a grace period of seven days for filing the required reports and ten days for correcting inaccuracies. The Secretary of State is also granted the authority to extend compliance deadlines by an additional 14 days for good cause.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for the collection of unpaid civil penalties, stipulating that if fines remain outstanding for more than 30 days, they must be referred to a debt collection agency. The Secretary of State is empowered to negotiate payment plans for these penalties, ensuring that compliance is prioritized while also providing flexibility for political committees. Overall, the bill seeks to enhance accountability in campaign finance reporting and streamline the enforcement of compliance measures.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 3-8-7