WEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 495
By Senators Woodrum and Oliverio
[Introduced February 14, 2025; referred
to the Committee on Government Organization]
A BILL to amend and reenact §3-8-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to requiring contact information for the chair of a political committee; and adding to the statement of organization an acknowledgment of legal compliance with campaign finance reporting requirements.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 8. REGULATION AND CONTROL OF ELECTIONS.
(a) No person may act as the treasurer of any political action committee or political party committee supporting, aiding, or opposing the nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate for an office encompassing an election district larger than a county unless a written statement of organization, on a form to be prescribed by the Secretary of State, is filed with the Secretary of State. A change of treasurer or financial agent may be made at any time by filing a written statement with the Secretary of State.
(b) No person may act as the treasurer for any candidate committee for a candidate for any office encompassing an election district larger than a county, any legislative office, or any circuit judgeship unless a written statement of organization designating that person as the treasurer or financial agent is filed with the Secretary of State. A change of treasurer or financial agent may be made at any time by filing a written statement with the Secretary of State.
(c) No person may act as treasurer of any political committee advocating for candidates to be nominated or elected by the voters of a county or a district therein, except legislative and circuit judge candidates, unless a written statement of organization designating him or her as the treasurer is filed with the clerk of the county commission or the Secretary of State. A change of treasurer may be made at any time by filing a written statement with the clerk of the county commission.
(d) Prior to engaging in any activity, a political committee shall file a statement of organization required by subsection (a) of this section. A statement of organization form required by this section shall be certified as accurate and true and signed by the treasurer and the chairman of the committee, and shall include the following information:
(1) The name of the political committee;
(2) The name of the treasurer;
(3) The mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the committee;
(4) The mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the treasurer, if different from the committee information;
(5) The name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the chairman of the committee;
(6) The affiliate organization, if any;
(7) The type of political committee, as determined by the description of types of committees included in the definitions of "political committee" and "political action committee" in §3-8-1a of this code; and
(8) Whether the committee will participate in statewide or local elections; and
(9) An acknowledgement that the political committee shall adhere to the reporting requirements set forth in this article.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, a filing designating a treasurer for a state, county, or municipal political committee may be made any time before the committee either accepts or spends funds. Once a designation is made by a state, county, or municipal political committee, no additional designations are required under this section until a successor treasurer is designated.
(f) A state, county, or municipal political committee may terminate a designation made pursuant to this section by making a written request to terminate the designation on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State and by filing a report of financial information required in §3-8-5 of this code indicating that the political committee has no funds or debts remaining in the committee’s account. This written request shall be filed with either the Secretary of State or the clerk of the county commission as provided by subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is add contact information of the committee chair and require and acknowledgment in the statement of organization that the committee must adhere to the reporting requirements set forth in the campaign finance laws of West Virginia.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading, or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.