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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77421</law_id><section_number>24.2-945.1</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>24.2-951.1</reference><reference>24.2-954</reference><reference>24.2-955.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="24.2">Elections</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="9.3">Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Authorization</span>&#x201D; means express approval or express consent by the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or an agent of the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span> after <span class="dictionary">coordination</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Campaign committee</span>&#x201D; means the committee designated by a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> to receive all contributions and make all expenditures for him or on his behalf in connection with his nomination or election.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Candidate</span>&#x201D; means &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">candidate</span>&#x201D; as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/24.2-101/">24.2-101</a>.
			&#x201C;Contribution&#x201D; means money and services of any amount, <span class="dictionary">in-kind contributions</span>, and any other thing of value, given, advanced, loaned, or in any other way provided to a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, political committee, or <span class="dictionary">person</span> for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or to an <span class="dictionary">inaugural committee</span> for the purpose of defraying the costs of the inauguration of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>. &#x201C;Contribution&#x201D; includes money, services, or things of value in any way provided by a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> to his own campaign and the payment by the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> of a filing fee for any party nomination method.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Coordinated</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">coordination</span>&#x201D; refers to an expenditure that is made (i) at the express request or suggestion of a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or an agent of the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span> or (ii) with <span class="dictionary">material</span> involvement of the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or an agent of the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span> in devising the strategy, content, means of dissemination, or timing of the expenditure.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Designated contribution</span>&#x201D; means a contribution that is designated specifically and in writing for a particular <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> and that is made using a political committee solely as a conduit.
			&#x201C;Expenditure&#x201D; means money and services of any amount, and any other thing of value, paid, loaned, provided, or in any other way disbursed by any <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, political committee, or <span class="dictionary">person</span> for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or by any <span class="dictionary">inaugural committee</span> for the purpose of defraying the costs of the inauguration of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Federal <span class="dictionary">political action committee</span></span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">political action committee</span> registered with the Federal Election Commission that makes contributions to <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> or <span class="dictionary">political committees</span> registered in Virginia.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Inaugural committee</span>&#x201D; means any organization, <span class="dictionary">person</span>, or group of <span class="dictionary">persons</span> that anticipates receiving contributions or making expenditures, from other than publicly appropriated funds, for the inauguration of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> and related activities.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Independent expenditure</span>&#x201D; means an expenditure made by any <span class="dictionary">person</span>, <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or political committee that is not made to, controlled by, <span class="dictionary">coordinated</span> with, or made with the <span class="dictionary">authorization</span> of a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or an agent of the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Independent expenditure</span>&#x201D; includes an expenditure made by a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span> (i) that is not related to the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>&#x2019;s own campaign and (ii) that is not made to, controlled by, <span class="dictionary">coordinated</span> with, or made with the <span class="dictionary">authorization</span> of a different <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or an agent of that <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">In-kind contribution</span>&#x201D; means the donation of goods, services, property, or other thing of value, other than money, including an expenditure controlled by, <span class="dictionary">coordinated</span> with, or made upon the <span class="dictionary">authorization</span> of a <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, or an agent of the <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> or his <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, that is provided for free or less than the usual and normal charge. The basis for arriving at the dollar value of an <span class="dictionary">in-kind contribution</span> is as follows: new items are valued at retail value; used items are valued at fair market value; and services rendered are valued at the actual cost of service per hour. Services shall not be deemed to include personal services voluntarily rendered for which no compensation is asked or given.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Out-of-state political committee</span>&#x201D; means an entity covered by &#xA7; 527 of the United States Internal Revenue Code that is not registered as a political committee or <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span> in Virginia and that does not have as its <span class="dictionary">primary purpose</span> expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>. The term shall not include a <span class="dictionary">federal <span class="dictionary">political action committee</span></span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; means any individual or corporation, partnership, business, labor organization, membership organization, association, cooperative, or other like entity.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Political action committee</span>&#x201D; means any organization, <span class="dictionary">person</span>, or group of <span class="dictionary">persons</span>, established or maintained to receive and expend contributions for the <span class="dictionary">primary purpose</span> of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>. The term shall not include a <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>, <span class="dictionary">federal <span class="dictionary">political action committee</span></span>, <span class="dictionary">out-of-state political committee</span>, <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span>, <span class="dictionary">referendum committee</span>, or <span class="dictionary">inaugural committee</span>.
			&#x201C;Political committee&#x201D; means and includes any <span class="dictionary">political action committee</span>, <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span>, <span class="dictionary">referendum committee</span>, or <span class="dictionary">inaugural committee</span>. The term shall not include: (i) a <span class="dictionary">federal <span class="dictionary">political action committee</span></span> or <span class="dictionary">out-of-state political committee</span>; (ii) a <span class="dictionary">campaign committee</span>; (iii) a <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span> exempted pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certain political party committees exempt" href="/24.2-950.1/">24.2-950.1</a>; or (iv) a <span class="dictionary">person</span> who receives no contributions from any source and whose only expenditures are made solely from his own funds and are either contributions made by him which are reportable by the recipient pursuant to this chapter or <span class="dictionary">independent expenditures</span> which are reportable by him to the extent required by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Persons required to file independent expenditure disclosure reports; filing deadline" href="/24.2-945.2/">24.2-945.2</a>, or a combination of such reportable contributions and <span class="dictionary">independent expenditures</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Political party committee</span>&#x201D; means any state <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span>, congressional district <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span>, county or city <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span>, other <span class="dictionary">election district</span> <span class="dictionary">political party committee</span>, or organized political party group of elected officials. This definition is subject to the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certain political party committees exempt" href="/24.2-950.1/">24.2-950.1</a>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Primary purpose</span>&#x201D; means that 50% or more of the committee&#x2019;s expenditures made in the form of contributions shall be made to <span class="dictionary">candidate</span> <span class="dictionary">campaign committees</span> or <span class="dictionary">political committees</span> registered in Virginia. Administrative expenditures and the transfer of funds between affiliated or connected organizations shall not be considered in determining the committee&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">primary purpose</span>. The <span class="dictionary">primary purpose</span> of the committee shall not be determined on the basis of only one report or election cycle, but over the entirety of the committee&#x2019;s registration.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Referendum committee</span>&#x201D; means any organization, <span class="dictionary">person</span>, group of <span class="dictionary">persons</span>, or committee, that makes expenditures in a calendar year in excess of (i) $10,000 to advocate the passage or defeat of a statewide referendum, (ii) $5,000 to advocate the passage or defeat of a referendum being held in two or more counties and cities, or (iii) $1,000 to advocate the passage or defeat of a referendum held in a single county or city.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Residence</span>&#x201D; means &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">residence</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">resident</span>&#x201D; as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/24.2-101/">24.2-101</a>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Statewide office</span>&#x201D; means the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>. <a id="paragraph-277705" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-945.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the terms &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">person</span>&#x201D; and &#x201C;political committee,&#x201D; shall not include an organization holding tax-exempt status under &#xA7; 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code which, in providing information to voters, does not advocate or endorse the election or defeat of a particular <span class="dictionary">candidate</span>, group of <span class="dictionary">candidates</span>, or the <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> of a particular political party. <a id="paragraph-277706" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-945.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1970, c. 462, &#xA7; 24.1-255; 1975, c. 515, &#xA7; 24.1-254.1; 1981, c. 425, &#xA7; 24.1-254.2; 1983, c. 119; 1988, c. 616; 1991, cc. 9, 474, 709, &#xA7; 24.1-254.3; 1993, cc. 641, 776, 921, &#xA7;&#xA7; 24.2-901, 24.2-902; 1994, c. 510; 1996, cc. 405, 1042; 2004, c. 457; 2006, cc. 771, 772, 787, 805, 892, 938; 2007, cc. 246, 831; 2008, cc. 152, 289.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
