The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia alters campaign finance penalties and adds settlement options for late reports
Last action · February 6, 2026: To JudiciarySponsor: Robbie Morris
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia revises civil penalties for late or inaccurate campaign finance reports, capping first-time offenses at $500 and subsequent offenses at $1,000, while granting the Secretary of State authority to negotiate settlements and installment plans.
Political committees and candidates face structured financial penalties and mandatory debt collection referrals if campaign reports are missing or inaccurate, with specific cure periods before fines apply.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Political committees
Political committees and their treasurers are subject to revised civil penalty caps, mandatory written notices, cure periods, and debt collection referral for delinquent or inaccurate reports.
Candidates
Candidates face potential ballot disqualification if required primary election campaign statements are not filed by the 84th day before the general election.
Secretary of State
The office is granted new authorities to assess capped civil penalties, negotiate settlement agreements, establish installment plans, and refer delinquent debts to collection agencies.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a campaign finance report is filed late?
Can political committees set up a payment plan for fines?
What happens to unpaid civil penalties after 30 days?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 6, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 6, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary then Finance
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 55)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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