It’s a new year, and all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, have or will convene for their legislative session. As usual, volunteers in CAI’s state legislative action committees are hard at work advocating on behalf of the more than 77.1 million Americans living in community associations, according to the Foundation for Community Association Research. By monitoring state legislation and educating lawmakers, LACs protect the interests of the community association industry. 

The length of each state’s legislative session varies. Florida and Virginia meet 30 to 60 days a year, while Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey meet year-round on two-year cycles. While some states introduce legislation once their sessions begin, bills in many state legislatures are pre-filed in the weeks leading up to their session being formally convened. This streamlines the legislative process by allowing more time to draft bills and consider which committee they will be referred to, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

Once a bill is introduced, it is heard in its committee and chamber of introduction. According to Statescape, several states have codified a crossover deadline, meaning a bill must pass from one chamber to another for it to be considered during a given year’s session. CAI’s LACs track these crossover deadlines to ensure legislation impacting community associations is moving forward and legislation they are opposing is being held. Each state also has a bill signing or vetoing deadline that gives a due date of when a governor must take action on legislation. 

More than 40 states have already convened their legislative sessions for 2025. CAI is currently tracking more than 400 bills at the state level impacting community associations. Here are highlights of bill topics introduced to date impacting community associations: 

  • Arizona. Construction defect regulations, declaration amendments, declarant transition. 
  • Colorado. Foreclosure procedures. 
  • Connecticut. Association meeting procedures, renting in CIOS, solar energy regulations, reserve studies, corporate investor regulations. 
  • Florida. Ombudsman programs, swimming pool regulations. 
  • Georgia. HOA board regulations. 
  • Hawaii. Construction defect regulations, fining authority, replacement reserve fund balance, removal of discriminatory restrictive covenants. 
  • Indiana. Manager licensing, beekeeping regulations, HOA regulation procedural updates, lemonade stand regulations. 
  • Kentucky. Political signs, middle housing regulations. 
  • Maryland. Reserve study and funding regulations, solar regulations, insurance deductibles, HOA task force, manager licensing. 
  • Massachusetts. Board transparency, commission to study condos, condo elections, HOA board elections, solar energy regulations, display of the U.S. flag within condos. 
  • Missouri. Homeowner bills of rights. 
  • Montana. Accessory dwelling units, construction defect regulations, HOA budget and financial report publishing, HOA law modifications. 
  • Nebraska. Political signs, solar regulations. 
  • New Hampshire. Updating condo board instruments, utilities in condos. 
  • New Jersey. Reserve studies and building inspection updates, manager licensing, board member education. 
  • New York. Access to units for repairs, condo/coop tax assessments, lifting assessment caps. 
  • North Dakota. Disclosure documents.
  • Oklahoma. Disclosure document regulations and fee caps. 
  • Oregon. Beekeeping, wildfire insurance. 
  • Pennsylvania. Solar and clothesline regulations. 
  • South Carolina. Foreclosure regulations; amateur radio. 
  • Texas: Accessory dwelling units, attorneys’ fees and architectural review and fee caps, board vacancy, canvassing, chicken regulations, clotheslines regulations, drought fines, flags and free speech/assembly regulations, insurance, removal of discriminatory covenants, solar, storm insurance, transfer of real estate. 
  • Utah. Alternative dispute resolution, HOA transparency and developer transition, basketball hoop regulations, design review process, vegetable garden regulations, holiday decor regulations, for sale signage regulations, sex offenders in community associations. 
  • Virginia. Resale disclosures; HAM radio regulations, gaming and bingo. 
  • Washington. Amending and updating the Washington Common Interest Ownership Act. 

We encourage you to bookmark CAI’s legislative tracking map to ensure you’re up to date on all legislation introduced across the U.S. impacting community associations. 

You can be part of this process by becoming a CAI Advocacy Ambassador. These individuals spend a few hours a month recruiting, organizing, and motivating other advocates while supporting their state’s CAI LAC. If an advocacy issue arises in your area, you’ll be asked to get the word out, so CAI has a stronger voice with legislators. 

Learn more about 2025 state legislative trends impacting community associations. If you’re interested in getting involved in CAI’s legislative and advocacy efforts, please get in touch with CAI’s Government & Public Affairs team at government@caionline.org. 

 

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