The Senate on Feb. 11 moved S.38 forward with a 40–0 second-reading vote after adopting committee and floor amendments that standardize special-election dates for municipal contests and close what sponsors described as an "Atlantic Beach" loophole.

Senator Campson, the bill sponsor, told colleagues the bill establishes five regular dates for special elections (including dates in January, April, June, August and November) for municipalities, bringing order to a patchwork of ad-hoc scheduling that has stretched election administrators. The measure preserves separate timing rules for U.S. House and state-legislative vacancies (the 11-week primary / 20-week general schedule) while consolidating municipal special-election dates.

Campson said municipal election administrators had urged the change, noting the frequency of special municipal elections has strained local election staffs and volunteer workers. A floor amendment also removed a provision that could keep a municipal incumbent in office for more than a year while a post-election court challenge lingered; Campson said the amendment "closes the Atlantic Beach loophole" that had allowed a challenger’s litigation to delay seating of a duly elected official.

During roll call, the Senate recorded 40 ayes, zero noes; the reading clerk announced that S.38 was given a second reading with the appropriate vote applied. Sponsors said the bill will now continue in the legislative process.

The Senate also agreed to several procedural amendments during floor debate intended to manage party filing windows and prevent last-minute "switcheroo" filings that had occurred in some counties, giving local party committees rules and timelines for reopening filing after late withdrawals or deaths.