Current law allows homeowners association boards to remove convicted felons. Homeowners association members can also enact bylaws that prevent owners from running from their boards if they do not pay their assessments or follow the rules. But the proponents of S.B. 323 (Weickowski) think these provisions give homeowners too much power; they want state law to tell homeowners who can and cannot serve on their boards.

In 2017 and 2018, Community Association Institute’s California Legislative Action Committee (CAI-CLAC) worked hard to remove community associations from a bill designed to make apartment balconies and other raised structures safer. Recognizing that community associations are not like apartment buildings, the author of the bill agreed to delete provisions related to associations. As enacted, the bill, authored by Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo, requires apartment owners to inspect wooden balconies, landings, and other similar structures every six years, including invasive testing to visualize structural elements. It also requires apartment owners to make repairs.