Community Associations Institute (CAI) Oklahoma Advocacy Task Force spent the 2026 legislative session advocating on behalf of approximately 163,000 Oklahomans who live in 65,000 homes in fewer than 2,000 community associations.
CAI’s Oklahoma Advocacy Task Force’s successful grassroots advocacy and fundraising efforts during the first year of this legislative session led them to receive an Award of Excellence in Government & Public Affairs from CAI National, which was presented to members at CAI’s Annual Conference in June 2026.
Legislative Overview
In Oklahoma, the legislature convenes from the first Monday in February to the last Friday in May. The Oklahoma Legislature operates on two-year biennials and the most recent legislative session lasted from 2025-2026. The 2026 Regular Session of the Oklahoma Legislature convened on February 2 and concluded its work on May 14. In Oklahoma, a bill that fails to pass during the first year of a two-year legislative session may carry over to the following session, retaining the same status as when the prior session ended and resuming the legislative process from that point, provided they were not officially voted down.
CAI and its Legislative Action Committees (LACs) support legislation that aligns with CAI’s public policy positions and opposes legislation that does not. If a LAC believes it may need to consider or adopt any legislative or regulatory position conflicting with these official positions, it must submit a request for a deviation to be considered by CAI’s Government & Public Affairs Committee and/or Board of Trustees.
CAI tracked more than 30 pieces of legislation in Oklahoma this year, directly advocating on those with potential implications on the community association industry. Below are the highlights.
Priority Legislation – HB 2800
CAI and the Oklahoma Legislative Advocacy Task Force strongly opposed this legislation, which was first introduced in 2025. As originally drafted, this bill would have intruded upon each Oklahoma community association’s board of directors’ autonomy to serve the best interest of the association by setting arbitrary fee caps and limiting each individual fee to no more than $175, stripping associations of the ability to determine the fee amounts and structures that work for their communities, and requiring that homeowners across the state be permitted to rent out their property in the short or long-term.
CAI had several points of opposition towards this bill. CAI generally opposes legislatively imposed fee caps, as it is unreasonable and arbitrary to impose a fee cap without accounting for factors that increase cost, including inflation. Associations should be able to set fee structures that work for them and their residents without unnecessary limitations imposed by state statute. The financial viability of any community association ultimately depends on its ability to collect assessments to meet continuing expenses.
Additionally, HB 2800 would have required Oklahoma community associations to allow residents to rent a property either long-term or short-term or as the office of an in-home business. Per CAI’s public policy on Short-Term (Vacation) Rentals, CAI believes that the community association housing model succeeds when a true sense of community is cultivated and there is active homeowner involvement based upon a culture of building consensus. In contrast, short-term visitors typically have no ties to the community, are not contractually bound by the association’s established policies, and are generally not invested in the overall good of the community. The same principle applies for those who rent units for any period of time, especially units under corporate ownership. An association should be able to decide what policies and regulations are reasonable and appropriate regarding renting property within the community.
Thanks largely to CAI’s advocacy work in 2025, the section of the bill that pertained to long- and short-term rentals was removed. Despite this, the remaining language was still problematic and CAI continued to oppose the bill. The bill ultimately died in the House in 2025 and, after crossing over to the Senate in 2026, died in committee. Learn more about CAI’s work in opposition to HB 2800 in 2025.
Status: Passed House, died in Senate committee.
CAI SOUGHT AMENDMENTS TO THE BELOW BILL
CAI seeks amendments to legislation to help it better align with CAI’s public policy positions.
SB 1917 – Solar energy devices; stating permissible locations for installation. Emergency.
CAI and the Oklahoma Legislative Advocacy Task Force aimed to amend this legislation, which would have specified that solar energy devices could only be installed on single-family residential, commercial, or industrial properties. The bill would have explicitly prohibited the installation of such devices on agricultural land. To better align with CAI’s public policy on Conservation, Sustainability, and Green Issues, CAI sought amendments to preserve a community association’s ability to create reasonable rules and regulations regarding the operation of solar energy devices within the community. The bill was not amended during the legislative process, as it did not receive a hearing.
Status: Bill died in committee.
CAI MONITORED THE BELOW BILLS
CAI and its LACs monitor legislation with the potential to impact those living and working in community associations across their state, as well as legislation that may indirectly or unintentionally impact community associations.
CAI and the Oklahoma Legislative Advocacy Task Force monitored this legislation, which would have established guidelines for the use and installation of portable solar generation devices in residential settings, exempting them from utility interconnection agreements and net metering requirements. It would have prohibited electric utilities from imposing additional fees or requiring prior authorization for these devices and mandates compliance with national electrical safety standards. Under this bill, landlords or associations would have been able to enforce reasonable regulations on the use of solar power without outright prohibitions.
This legislation aligns with CAI’s public policy on Conservation, Sustainability, and Green Issues. CAI supports environmental and energy efficiency policies like HB 4060 that recognize and respect the governance and contractual obligations of community association residents as the best mechanism to enact sustainable environmental policies. CAI supports efforts by state legislatures to empower community associations to build consensus-based solutions regarding environmental initiatives and opposes government and interest group efforts to override community policy or deed restrictions on single interest issues.
Status: Passed House, died in Senate committee.
CAI and the Oklahoma Legislative Advocacy Task Force monitored this legislation, which would have prohibited municipalities in Oklahoma from adopting or enforcing certain regulations on “no-impact” home-based businesses. Specifically, it would have restricted municipalities from requiring licenses, zoning changes, or fire suppression installations for such businesses under defined conditions. Homeowners’ association and private restrictions would not have been affected by this legislation, as the legislation would have allowed enforcement of homeowners’ association rules regarding home-based businesses and short-term rentals. CAI monitored this legislation for any amendments that would cause misalignment with CAI’s public policy positions.
This legislation aligned with CAI public policy positions in preserving an association’s ability to reasonably regulate activities within the association. CAI recognizes that a residential community association may need to regulate non-residential activities within the community in order to maintain the residential character of that community. This includes the right to regulate non-residential activities that are conducted from or within individual homes in the community. CAI supports a community association’s regulation of a home-based business based upon the current or potential impact of that business on the quality of life for residents in the community, the reasonable expectations of those who purchase homes in communities limited to residential uses; and, whether the non-residential or business use of the residence constitutes a nuisance in accordance with the community’s governing documents. Regarding short-term rentals, CAI supports short-term rental regulation that is consistent with the association’s governing documents, federal, state, and local law, and serves to protect and preserve the ability of community association homeowners to manage their affairs.
Status: Bill died in committee.
CAI and the Oklahoma Legislative Advocacy Task Force monitored this legislation, which would have prohibited covered institutional investors (corporate entities like LLCs, partnerships, etc.) from owning more than 25 single-family homes in Oklahoma. The bill would have applied to acquisitions made after November 1, 2026, with exceptions for family trusts, estates, nonprofits, tribal housing, housing authorities, bona fide lenders, homebuilders, and properties acquired before the effective date. Under this bill, the Attorney General would have had sole authority to enforce the provision, can levy civil penalties, seek injunctions, and require divestiture.
Status: Bill died in committee.
Oklahoma Legislative Process
There is no room for formal testimony from the public at any point in the Oklahoma legislative process, so grassroots outreach to legislators is particularly critical in this state.
All bills must receive at least three separate readings in both chambers to become law. Every bill filed receives a first reading, but not every bill gets assigned to a committee where members can vote to approve a bill, amend it, or send it to subcommittee for further consideration. If approved by committee the chamber has the opportunity to ask questions of the bill’s sponsor, debate, and amend the bill. Bills that do not get a favorable vote are considered dead. Both chambers must pass identical versions of the same bill for it to go to the Governor’s desk. Learn more about how laws are created in Oklahoma.
Get Involved in CAI’s Oklahoma Advocacy Work through a CAI Chapter!
CAI has 64 chapters worldwide, including Canada, the Middle East, and South Africa. Chapters administer a variety of programs and services such as professional development programming, community association board member education, networking opportunities, educational publications and other services to meet the needs of their members.
Not a member yet? Join a growing global network of more than 51,000 community managers, management company executives, homeowner leaders, and business partners, and open up a world of opportunities for professional growth, networking and industry knowledge.
Learn more and find a chapter at: https://www.caionline.org/find-a-chapter/
| Track OK Legislation
CAI tracks legislation throughout the year, so you can stay informed. You can check the legislation that CAI is monitoring around the clock here.
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Support and Donate Today
CAI depends on professional lobbyists funded by community associations, businesses, and individuals to create the best public policy for the community association industry in Oklahoma. Learn More & Donate Today by Selecting “Issues Advancement Fund.”
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This exclusive members-only event brings together industry leaders and advocates to engage directly with members of Congress and their staff. As the premier advocacy event of the year for the community association housing model, CAI’s Advocacy Summit offers a unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with federal lawmakers and help shape public policy impacting the industry. |
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