Legislative Advocacy

Part of PA-DVC's mission is to advocate our member's interests through involvement with special legislative committees in PA, NJ and DE.

CAI's Pennsylvania Legislative Action Committee is grateful for the support of the following organizations. Their support helps to fund CAI's legislative action priorities.

Legislative Contributors:
Hal Barrow, BarrowLaw
Carl Weiner, Hamburg, Rubin, Mullen, Maxwell & Lupin
Kevin Snakard, Lindsay Insurance

Buck-A-Door Contributors:
Blossom Ridge
Blue Bell Country Club Community Association
Bluestone Creek Homeowners Association
Club View Manor Condominium
Commons at Deer Ford
Commons at Deer Ford
Corinthian Condominium Association
Deer Ford Condo Association
Deer Ford North Condominium Association
Heritage Creek Condominiums
Hershey's Mill Homeowners Association
Highlands of Glenmoor
Hopkinson House
Lake Naomi -Timber Trails Community
Lamp Lighter Village Condo Association
North Pointe Unit Owners Association
Northridge at Deer Ford
Pocono Mountain Lake Est 5, 6, 7 Inc.
Regency at Northampton Community Association
Remington Oaks Condominiums
River Bend Condominium Association
The Villas at Shady Brook
Traces of Lattimore Community Association
Traditions at Washington Crossing Community Association
Trent Manor Condominium Association
Valleybrook Estates Condominium Association
Village at Upstream
Villas at Chancellor's Glen Community Association
Woodcrest Condominium Association
York Town Condominium Association

To contribute to CAI's legislative advocacy efforts, click on the Buck-A-Door contribution form in the PDF box at the top of this page.
 

Positions on Current Legislation

The Pennsylvania Legislative Action Committee (LAC) will review appropriate Bills in the 2009-2010 Pennsylvania Legislative Session. The LAC has reviewed and taken the following positions on Bills currently pending in the legislature:

House Resolution 350: Joint State Government Commission Study of Community Associations

CAI's PA LAC SUPPORTS the adoption of this Resolution. HR 350 directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the impact of common interest ownership communities on local governments and the Commonwealth, the challenges facing the residents and governing bodies of these common interest ownership communities and opportunities for the Commonwealth to assist local governments and common interest ownership communities to deliver adequate services to their residents at an affordable cost. Click here for the full text of the resolution.

Update: HR 350 was passed by the full House on Thursday, July 2, 2009.

House Bills 1221 and 1240 & Senate Bill 745 of 2009: Applies certain "Sunshine Act" Provisions to Community Associations.

CAI's PA LAC SUPPORTS Amendments to these Bills.  House Bill 1221, House Bill 1240, and Senate Bill 745 all address open meetings and open records in common interest ownership communities. CAI strongly agrees that the sharing of information and access to documentation are essential components of proper functioning of community association governance. However, there are laws and rules already in place that ensure openness and that unit owners have access to the records and documents of their community association. CAI's PA LAC supports various amendments to the Bills and advocates the adoption of such amendments.

House Bills 675 of 2009: Proposes to allow unit owners to deduct association dues from a personal state income tax return.

CAI's PA LAC SUPPORTS this Bill. House Bill 675 would allow a unit owner in a common interest ownership community (planned community) to deduct 75% of his or her association assessments (or dues) from his or her personal income tax.  The purpose of this legislation is to address the problem of residents of associations paying taxes for municipal services that are often not provided to them. 

House Bills 579 of 2009: Proposes to make remedies contained in the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Laws applicable to enforcement of PA's common interest statutes.

CAI's PA LAC OPPOSES this Bill. House Bill 579 would permit the enforcement of the Uniform Condominium Act and the Uniform Planned Community Act through the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL).  CAI strongly opposes this legislation because remedies already existing for willful violations of association declarations and bylaws, most associations’ documents address enforcement, and volumes of litigation would result if the UTPCPL were applied to community associations. 

Quick Legislative Links

Information on the PA General Assembly
Find your PA State Senator
Find your PA State Representative

CAI Advocacy Center

Click here to reach the CAI Advocacy Center. This is CAI members only feature and you must have your member ID to login. If you do not have your member number, please call the chapter office at 877-608-9777.