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Bill

HB 44

Elections; campaign finance disclosure reports, searchable electronic database.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Paul Krizek

Virginia would establish a searchable online database of campaign finance disclosures to increase electoral transparency and public access to political donation records.

Left in Committee Communications, Technology and Innovation
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 44

Legislative bill overview

HB 44 requires Virginia to create a searchable electronic database of campaign finance disclosure reports, making political donation information more accessible to the public online. Currently, campaign finance data exists but may not be easily searchable or consolidated in a single digital location. The bill aims to improve transparency by centralizing this information in a user-friendly format.

Why is this important

Campaign finance disclosure is a cornerstone of electoral transparency, allowing voters to understand who is funding political candidates and campaigns. A searchable database would democratize access to this information beyond those with technical expertise or time to manually search records, potentially increasing public scrutiny of campaign funding sources. This directly affects voter decision-making and public trust in the electoral process.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs: Creating and maintaining a comprehensive searchable database requires IT infrastructure, staff, and ongoing technical support—expenses that must be budgeted and sustained over time
  • Privacy concerns: Detailed donor information could potentially be misused for harassment or discrimination, raising questions about data security and privacy safeguards
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill's language doesn't clearly specify which campaigns/contributions must be included, whether local races are covered, or what level of granularity is required (individual donors vs. aggregated data)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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