As introduced and as passed the Senate, SB 358 aimed to remove the Georgia Secretary of State for the State Election Board. However, the House Committee on Governmental Affairs made a significant substitute to the legislation to transform it into legislation amending significant portions of the laws governing the State Ethics Commission, including campaign and personal finance reports.

Most important for candidates for local office, including current municipal elected officials, are two issues. First, this legislation seeks to change the location of filing campaign reports from municipal officials from the municipal clerk (or municipal chief elected officer if there is no clerk) as the case has been for over a decade to the State Ethics Commission itself. This change would not go into effect until January 1, 2026. 

Additionally, current law does not require municipal candidates to file reports if they raised contributions at $2500 or less or made expenditures of $2500 or less in an election cycle. Under current law, if such candidates raise or expend between $2500 and $5000 in an election cycle they would be required to file reports twice a year and if such amounts are over $5000 then they would have to file reports at the same dates as state candidates. This legislation would instead require such municipal candidates to file the reports on the same dates as state candidates if such candidates receive contributions of more than $100 in an election cycle. These changes would be effective Januarty 1, 2025, at the start of a heavy municipal election year.  

Significantly, the legislation also seeks to streamline reporting dates by make candidates for any office, whether state or local to file reports on the same dates each year, which would be January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 15 each year.