Training volunteer board members on their roles and responsibilities is essential to a well-functioning community association. Last summer, CAI approved a significant update to its board member education public policy. This timely update followed a notable increase in legislation nationwide addressing board member education following the devastating 2021 partial condominium collapse in Surfside, Fla.
This tragedy elucidated the importance of comprehensive education for community association board members to help their communities thrive. The updated public policy emphasizes the importance of board member education in maintaining safe, stable, and well-managed community associations. Review CAI’s recently updated public policy on board member education.
CAI has seen this legislative trend continue into 2025 as several states passed laws or considered legislation addressing training and education for board members. Colorado, Florida and Hawaii successfully created laws mandating or regulating community association board member education. Florida requires board members to obtain certain education while Hawaii and Colorado create regulations around the cost and completion of educational opportunities for board members. There also is a county-wide mandate for education in Montgomery County, Md.
- Colorado – R.S. 38-33.3-209.6– Board member education is not required. Boards are allowed to reimburse board members, as a common expense, for their actual and necessary expenses in attending educational meetings and seminars on responsible association governance. The course content must be specific to Colorado and refer to applicable Colorado statutes.
- Florida – Section 720.3033(1) – HOAs – Requires board members to submit a certificate showing that they “satisfactorily” completed the new education curriculum required of new members within ninety (90) days of being appointed or elected. Section 718.112(2)(d)4.b – Condos -Condominium members must also submit proof of completion that they have undergone the educational requirements after election or appointment to the board.
- Hawaii – HI Rev Stat § 514B-107 (2023) – Board member education is not required. Condo boards can spend association funds to educate and train themselves in subject areas directly related to their duties and responsibilities as directors. The annual budget must include these education and training expenses as separate line items.
Additionally, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington recently considered legislation to mandate or regulate education for community association board members. In Maryland, legislation was introduced at both the state and county levels. So far in 2025, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, and Utah have considered such legislation.
- Hawaii
- 2025: SB 1498 would establish the Ombudsman’s Office for homeowner associations within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. This legislation would require board members of condominium associations, cooperative housing corporations, and planned community associations to meet certain educational requirements through classes offered by the ombudsman.
- 2025: HB 1313 would require board members of a condominium association to certify the receipt and review of certain documents and complete a board training and education course approved by an accredited third-party organization, to be selected by the Real Estate Commission.
- Indiana
- 2025: SB 445 would require the attorney general to establish a training course that members of a homeowners association board of directors must complete within one (1) year of joining the board of a homeowners association.
- Maryland
- 2025: HB 299 would require certain members of a board of directors or certain officers of a council of unit owners of certain condominiums and certain members of a governing body of a homeowners association to successfully complete a training curriculum on the responsibilities of being a member or an officer in a certain manner and subject to certain requirements.
- 2025: HB 1284/SB 728 is a re-introduction of a bill from the previous legislative session (HB 687) and would require each member of a board of directors or officer of a council of unit owners of a condominium in Charles County and each member of a governing body of a homeowners association in Charles County to successfully complete a certain approved training curriculum in a certain manner and subject to certain requirements.
- 2024: HB 793 would have required certain members of a board of directors or certain officers of a council of unit owners of certain condominiums and certain members of a governing body of a homeowners association to successfully complete a training curriculum on the responsibilities of being a member or an officer in a certain manner and subject to certain requirements. (Passed House, Died in Senate
- 2024: HB 687 would have required each member of a board of directors or officer of a council of unit owners of a condominium in Charles County and each member of a governing body of a homeowners association in Charles County to successfully complete a certain approved training curriculum in a certain manner and subject to certain requirements. (Passed first reading)
- Utah
- 2025: HB 262 would establish education requirements for members of a homeowners’ association board.
CAI recently added comprehensive information on state laws mandating and regulating board member education, which can be found here.
CAI firmly believes board members should be knowledgeable and proficient in their governance duties. We encourage board members to obtain education in governing documents, fiduciary duties and duty of care, ethics and leadership, rules creation and enforcement, financials and budgeting, reserves and financial responsibilities, maintenance responsibilities, risk management and insurance, board and owner meetings, elections and responsibilities, and conflict resolution and community building.
However, mandatory government-imposed training requirements could deter volunteerism within community associations and introduce high costs mandatory programs that may not be sufficient to cover the essential core competencies and best practices needed for effective governance. Additionally, each community is unique and will likely not have its needs met by legislation intended to be unilaterally applied to all community associations.
Do you want to deepen your knowledge of community association governance, operation, and management? We have a plethora of resources available to help you get started. Review CAI resources for homeowner education. Find ways to assess the governance-related operations of your community association using CAI’s Best Practices Report: Governance. Learn how to strategically plan multiple missions in complex community associations using the Best Practices Report: Strategic Planning. Learn more about the rights and responsibilities for better communities using From Good to Great: Principles for Community Association Success.
