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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70291</law_id><section_number>24.2-957.1</section_number><catch_line>Requirements for television advertisements sponsored by a candidate or candidate campaign committee</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="24.2">Elections</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="9.5">Political Campaign Advertisements</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Television and Certain Video Advertisement Requirements</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>It shall be unlawful for any candidate or a <span class="dictionary">candidate campaign committee</span> to <span class="dictionary">sponsor</span> a <span class="dictionary">television</span> <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> that constitutes an expenditure or contribution required to be disclosed under Chapter 9.3 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Elections to which chapter applicable; chapter exclusive" href="/24.2-945/">24.2-945</a> et seq.) unless the following requirements are met:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> It bears the legend or includes the statement: &#x201C;Paid for by ____________ [<span class="dictionary">Name of candidate</span> or campaign committee as it appears on the statement of organization].&#x201D; Alternatively, if the <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> is supporting that candidate and the <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> makes no reference to any other clearly identified candidate, then the statement &#x201C;Paid for by ____________ [Name of <span class="dictionary">sponsor</span>]&#x201D; may be replaced by the statement &#x201C;Authorized by ____________ [Name of <span class="dictionary">sponsor</span>].&#x201D;
			The disclosure shall be made by visual legend, which shall constitute 20 <span class="dictionary">scan lines</span> in size. The content of these visual legends is specified by the Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA7; 315 and 317 and this section. <a id="paragraph-253791" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-957.1/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> sponsored by the candidate or the <span class="dictionary">candidate campaign committee</span> makes reference to another clearly identified candidate, it must include a <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> spoken by the sponsoring candidate containing at least the following words: &#x201C;I am ____________ (or &#x2018;This is ___________&#x2019;) [<span class="dictionary">Name of candidate</span>], candidate for [Name of] office, and I (or &#x2018;my campaign&#x2019;) sponsored this ad.&#x201D;
			The candidate or the <span class="dictionary">candidate campaign committee</span> may provide the oral <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> required by this section at the same time as the visual disclosure required under the Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA7; 315 and 317, is shown. <a id="paragraph-253792" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-957.1/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> shall include throughout the <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> an <span class="dictionary">unobscured</span>, <span class="dictionary">full-screen</span> picture containing the candidate, either in photographic form or through the actual <span class="dictionary">appearance</span> of the candidate on camera. <a id="paragraph-253793" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-957.1/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The candidate or the campaign committee may place the <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> required by this section at any point during the <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span>, except if the duration of the <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> is more than five minutes, the <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> shall be made both at the beginning and end of the <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span>. <a id="paragraph-253794" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-957.1/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> In its oral <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span>, the <span class="dictionary">sponsor</span> may choose to identify an <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> as either supporting or opposing the nomination or <span class="dictionary">election</span> of one or more clearly identified <span class="dictionary">candidates</span>. <a id="paragraph-253795" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-957.1/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="6"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> If an <span class="dictionary">advertisement</span> is jointly sponsored, the <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> shall include the names of all the <span class="dictionary">sponsors</span> and the candidate shall be the disclosing individual. If more than one candidate is the <span class="dictionary">sponsor</span>, at least one of the <span class="dictionary">candidates</span> shall be the disclosing individual. <a id="paragraph-253796" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-957.1/#6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2002, c. 487, &#xA7; 24.2-944; 2004, cc. 55, 457; 2005, c. 369; 2006, cc. 787, 892; 2020, c. 615.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
