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Virginia · 2025 Regular Session · Bill

HB 2479: Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty.

Vetoed Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted
  6. Vetoed

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

HB 2479 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 8, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty. Primary sponsor: Mark D. Sickles. It lists 5 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (April 2, 2025): House sustained Governor's veto.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

Elections; political campaign advertisements; synthetic media; penalty. Prohibits electioneering communications containing synthetic media, as those terms are defined in the bill, from being published or broadcast without containing the following conspicuously displayed statement: "This message contains synthetic media that has been altered from its original source or artificially generated and may present conduct or speech that did not occur." The bill creates a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 for a violation of such prohibition and, for a willful violation, a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill permits any registered voter who receives an electioneering communication in violation of this requirement to institute an action for preventative relief to prohibit the publication or dissemination of such electioneering communication, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction. This bill is identical to SB 775.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 4

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Mark D. SicklesPrimary sponsorNot applicable (committee)——
Kelly FowlerCo-sponsorDemocraticHouse96
J.R. HensonCo-sponsorDemocraticHouse19
Paul KrizekCo-sponsorDemocraticHouse16
Michelle Lopes MaldonadoCo-sponsorNot applicable (committee)——
Cia PriceCo-sponsorDemocraticHouse85

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. House sustained Governor's veto
  2. Vetoed by Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025
  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2479)
  6. Signed by President
  7. Signed by Speaker
  8. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2479ER)
  9. Enrolled
  10. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2479)
  11. Conference report agreed to by House (76-Y 22-N)
  12. Conference report agreed to by Senate (23-Y 17-N)

Showing 12 most recent of 40 actions. Full history

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source