Louisiana’s 2026 legislative session began on Monday, March 9th. Since then, Louisiana House Bill 817 was introduced theoretically to provide clear protections and guidelines for the 170,000 Louisianans living in 2,200 community associations throughout the Bayou State. In reality, the bill does the exact opposite by imposing unnecessary, redundant, and burdensome mandates on homeowners and communities.  

CAI Louisiana Chapter-In-Organization is now reaching out to key legislators in Baton Rouge to express concerns with the bill and urging continued support of current Louisiana statute regulating community associations. In 2025 the Louisiana Planned Community Act became effective and already addresses the majority of the issues raised in HB 817. As we ramp up efforts to oppose HB 817, CAI needs your support. We are collecting petition signatures to send to the bill sponsor, demonstrating how widespread opposition is amongst Louisianans living and working in community associations. Please add your name then share this petition with your neighbors and urge them to sign.

As drafted, House Bill 817 imposes sweeping, impractical, and costly mandates on community associations without addressing how compliance would work. The bill creates burdensome administrative actions for community association, such as retroactively amending governing documents, duplicative recordkeeping, and unnecessary reporting, which will increase costs for homeowners. The bill also shifts responsibilities for tracking sales of homes onto associations instead of sellers and new homeowners. CAI opposes HB 817 for the following reasons:

• Burdensome mandates on governing documents: Requires retroactive amendments to governing documents that are often very difficult to achieve due to high homeowner approval thresholds.
• Duplicative administrative and technology requirements: Imposes unnecessary website and online portal requirements, with notice and reporting obligations that are duplicative, increasing costs without clear benefit.
• Unfair burden on associations: Shifts certain responsibilities, such as tracking ownership changes and distributing documents, from buyers and sellers to associations, without any requirement for buyers or sellers to notify the association of changes.
• Excessive and redundant recordkeeping: Requires duplicative document retention mandates and allows unrestricted inspection and copying of documents without regard for costs or logistics.
• Rigid and impractical governance structures: Imposes mandates on board size and meeting procedures that conflict with existing governance structures and real-world operations, while failing to distinguish between board and member meetings. These requirements will be especially challenging for small communities.
• Premature developer control restrictions: Forces early homeowner involvement, potentially limiting developer authority and undermining financial stability.
• Confusing and conflicting contracting requirements: Imposes conflicting rules and thresholds for contract bidding which could delay services, increase costs, and while undermine relationships with existing vendors.
• Destabilizing financial controls: Establishes vague mandates regarding budgeting, disposition of surplus funds, fines and dues allocation mandates which will weaken association finances. 
• Weakens enforcement authority: By restricting liens, fines, and foreclosure tools, the bill will undermine an association’s ability to ensure compliance with rules and maintain financial stability.

HB 817 is a vast legislative overreach which mandates a one-size-fits-all approach that will harm homeowners and community associations across Louisiana. Please sign CAI’s petition to OPPOSE HB 817 today!