What to Expect During Our 2022 Virtual Legislative Week at the Capitol

Guest Post by Pam Richardson, Esq.

Each year, board members, community managers, and business partners working with community associations meet with their legislators to educate them about pending legislation and current issues affecting California’s 55,000 community associations.  This event is open to all who have an interest in advocating on behalf of California communities. This year’s event will once again be a four (4) day virtual CAI-CLAC Legislative “Week” at the Capitol, on April 18, 2022 – April 21, 2022. This year’s topics to be covered during our local legislative visits include:

1. Insurance Crisis: Rising Costs and Limited Availability
2. FNMA/FMAC Questionnaires
3. AB 1410
4. ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units)
5. Aging Infrastructure

All attendees will have the opportunity to attend the Opening Session, which will include an informative briefing with CAI-CLACs Legislative Advocate, Louie Brown, to address current bills, legislative strategy and key issues to be discussed in each virtual advocacy meeting. During the week, the eight chapters of CAI will each have a virtual advocacy meeting with legislators and staffers from their respective districts. All chapter sessions will be spread out over three (3) days.  Attendees are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions.  We recommend that at a minimum, you attend the session for your local chapter, as it is important for legislators to see how many of their constituents are attending.

Virtual advocacy meetings serve multiple purposes including: educating legislators, seeking support for specific bills, and showing appreciation for past support. The meetings focus on issues and bills that were identified as being important by the CAI-CLAC Delegate body. Due to the virtual format, we are able to include many more attendees in each virtual advocacy meeting than in years past when we met in person.  Last year, the Legislators and their staffs all noted and remarked how impressive it was to have so many members participating in the virtual meetings.  This really gives legislators and their staff members a thorough understanding of just how many constituents that they have who are living in and working with community associations. 

In each Chapter’s session, there will be several persons who have been chosen to present specific issues. Our Legislative Advocate, Louie Brown, will open up each Legislative meeting to introduce the persons who will be speaking to the legislator or staffer.  One of these persons will be a moderator, who introduces each speaker.  A CAI-CLAC Delegate and members of the local CAI Chapter’s Legislative Support Committee (LSC) will also be attending the meeting.  The legislators and/or their staff members will have specific appointment times when they join the meeting. 

On the final day of Legislative Week, there will be a Closing Session. Attendees will hear a debrief from each Chapter’s meetings, CAI National will present an update on legislation and issues on the national level, and CAI-CLAC will present Volunteer Awards for 2021.

You can get ready for CAI-CLAC’s Legislative Week on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at our April Virtual Town Hall Meeting. The Capitol Mix & Mingle Breakout Rooms begin at 11:30 am, and the Town Hall Program will be from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm.

This event will provide attendees a quick, yet thorough breakdown of what to expect during this 4-day advocacy event. During the Town Hall discussion, we will provide you the background and information on key topics so attendees can help support CAI-CLAC’s current efforts. 

It is important attendees are informed before meeting with legislators. You don’t want to miss this event! We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Town Hall and Legislative Week!

You can CLICK HERE to register for both the Legislative Week at the Capitol and the April Town Hall. For information on the bills that CAI-CLAC is currently working on for California homeowners and their associations, please visit our Current Campaigns page.  

Pamela L. Richardson, Esq. is an attorney with Flanagan Law, APC.  Pam has been an attorney working with community associations since 2015, her work includes interpretation, drafting, and enforcement of governing documents, advising associations on compliance with statutory requirements, and other related issues.  Pam currently serves as a CLAC Delegate, Vice Chair of CLAC’s PR Committee, and is a Past Chair of the San Diego Legislative Support Committee.  Pam has served as a board member of her HOA for more than fifteen years.