Bill > HB4848

This bill, titled "Requiring certain disclosures of election expenditures," aims to shed light on "dark money" political spending by requiring individuals and entities making independent expenditures exceeding certain thresholds to disclose detailed information about the source of their funds and the nature of their spending. An "independent expenditure" is defined as a payment made by a person or group that is not coordinated with a candidate's campaign. The bill mandates that anyone spending over $1,000 in a calendar year on such expenditures must report the name of the spender, those who control them, their business details, the amount spent, to whom it was paid, and which elections the spending pertains to. Crucially, it requires disclosure of individuals or entities contributing over $1,000 to the spender within the preceding year, with exceptions for funds in segregated accounts, ordinary business income, or explicitly non-political contributions. The bill also introduces new reporting requirements for "covered transfers," which are defined as payments made with the understanding or suggestion that the funds will be used for campaign-related disbursements or passed along for that purpose. These transfers, if exceeding $10,000, require the recipient to obtain and disclose information about the original contributors to the transferor, including their names, addresses, occupations, and employers, with specific thresholds and reporting timelines for various types of expenditures and transfers, and penalties for non-compliance. The intent is to allow the public to know who is truly funding political advertisements, thereby enhancing transparency in elections.

Justice

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4848&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill