2025 CAI Illinois Legislative Session Report

Community Associations Institute (CAI) and the Illinois Legislative Action Committee (ILAC) spent the 2025 legislative session advocating on behalf of the approximately 3,900,000 Illinoisans living in 1,524,900 homes in more than 19,550 community associations across the state. Illinois’ 2025 legislative session began January 8 and adjourned May 31. A 2023-2024 lame duck session was held between January 4 and 7 – the period when the General Assembly is in session to cover unfinished business before the new legislature is sworn in, after an election but before their terms expire. The legislative session will carry over into 2026.

On February 26, ILAC hosted a successful Advocacy Day, during which 10 dedicated community association leaders from across Illinois met with 20 state legislators and staff in Springfield to discuss sensible reserve study legislation and other critical issues impacting community associations across the state. CAI also launched an online campaign, urging advocates across Illinois to message their legislators before the Advocacy Day to encourage them to meet with CAI and tell them about the resources CAI offers. In response, 37 people sent a total of 70 messages to 48 different legislators.

Nearly 7,900 bills were introduced during the 2025 session, and ILAC actively monitored 59 bills that either directly or indirectly affected community associations. Bills that were re-referred to the Rules Committee in the House or Assignments in the Senate, did not move forward in this legislative session. Below is a brief overview:

HSB 2563/ SB 1703 – RESERVE STUDIES

ILAC supports this legislation and collaborated with legislators to champion its introduction. This legislation would require an association to conduct and update a reserve study every 5 years. The bill defines “reserve study” to mean an analysis of the reserves required for future major maintenance, repairs, and replacements of the common elements/common areas.

The bill grants a 5-year window for an association to conduct a reserve study or update a current study and requires a reserve study to be made available to any prospective purchaser of a unit upon request for a resale of any unit in the community. Condominium associations with 15 or fewer units would be exempt from the requirements.

ILAC supports this legislation because it would ensure that communities are safe and assist in the planning of the financial future of an association. Per CAI’s Reserve Study and Funding Public Policy, CAI supports policy that requires reserve studies to be prepared in compliance with the most current edition of the Reserve Study Standards. CAI supports mandated reserve studies and funding for new and existing community associations as well as periodic reserve study updates be performed.

CAI launched a virtual call-to-action campaign, urging advocates across Illinois to contact their state legislators and express support for this critical legislation. In response, 72 people sent a total of 141 messages to 73 state legislators about this legislation.

Status: Amended in House; In committee; Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

HB 67 – PARKING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIREFIGHTER VEHICLES

ILAC opposed this legislation when first introduced but supports it as amended. This legislation would disallow an association in Illinois from prohibiting a law enforcement officer or a firefighter who is a parcel owner, or who is a tenant, guest, or invitee of a parcel owner, from parking their assigned law enforcement vehicle or firefighter vehicle in an area where the parcel owner, or the tenant, guest, or invitee of the parcel owner, otherwise has a right to park.

ILAC found the bill’s original language to be overly broad and potentially confusing for community managers and homeowners to understand and offered amendments to the bill’s author to provide clarity, preserve community self-governance, and ensure an association’s ability to create reasonable rules and regulations around parking within a community. After the bill was successfully amended, ILAC voted to support the bill as amended.

Status: Successfully amended in House; Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

SB 1713 – PARKING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIREFIGHTER VEHICLES

ILAC opposes this legislation, which would amend the Condominium Property Act and Common Interest Community Association Act to disallow associations from classifying authorized emergency vehicles as commercial vehicles and restricting the parking of authorized emergency vehicles owned or under the control of a resident or unit owner or the tenant, guest, or invitee of a unit owner.

ILAC is concerned that the bill’s language could be interpreted to mean that emergency vehicles would be exempt from any restrictions on parking at any time and for any reason and found the language to be overly broad and subject to confusion and inconsistent interpretation and enforcement.

Status: Re-referred to Assignments at End of Session

SB 1683 – REASONABLE HOME RENOVATIONS

ILAC opposes this legislation, which would amend the Condominium Property Act and Common Interest Community Association Act to disallow an association from prohibiting any resident or owner from making reasonable renovations, modifications, or any other change to the inside or outside of their home if the renovation, modification, or other change is to accommodate their health condition or disability so long as the renovation, modification, or other change does not extend over or onto neighboring properties, public or common sidewalks, pathways, streets or other public or common areas or elements and does not interfere with traffic or utilities. The bill provides that such a prohibition or restriction in an association’s community instruments that conflicts with or purports to supersede its requirements is void and unenforceable.

ILAC finds the bill’s language to be inconsistent with an association’s obligations under Federal Housing laws. It also lacks sufficient definitions and any form or procedure (otherwise codified under Federal Law) to address such proposed modifications.

Status: Re-referred to Assignments at End of Session

HB 2648 – DOCUMENT INSPECTION FEE CAPS

ILAC opposes this legislation, which would set a cap at $375 (with Consumer Price Index adjustments) for the cost of retrieving and copying association records that are properly requested and authorize the board to charge an additional rush fee of not more than $100 if the records are needed within 72 hours of the request being made. The bill also would require any fees charged to be accompanied by an itemized statement detailing the basis of the fees.

ILAC finds capping the cost of retrieval at $375 to be unfair, especially if the documents that are needed are in storage and difficult or costly to retrieve. Owners are currently able to request 7 years of minutes and 10 years of financials. The bill lacks clarity around an association’s obligations regarding responding to requests for resale documents and records.

Status: Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

HB 3586 – BOARD MEMBER TRAINING

ILAC opposes this legislation, which would amend the Condominium and Common Interest Community Ombudsperson Act to provide that on or before July 1, 2026, the Ombudsperson shall require mandatory training within 90 days of election or appointment by elected and appointed members of board of managers or board of directors.

Per CAI’s public policy on Board Member Education, CAI supports education and training to assist community association volunteer leaders (board members) in understanding and carrying out their responsibility to govern the community association they serve. CAI encourages 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.

CAI understands the importance of making board member education accessible to all governing board members and encourages board members to get education without state mandates. Board member education requirements should focus on incentives (such as coverage of certain training expenses) and accessible and affordable tools to motivate boards by utilizing existing educational tools to achieve goals rather than create new processes or burdens.

The bill lacks any form of enforcement mechanism and fails to address what would happen if a board member fails or refuses to complete the training. The bill also does not address or account for the fact that, generally, individuals who have been elected or appointed to an association board and can only be removed by a vote of 2/3 members of the community.

Status: Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

SB 1914 – BOARD NEGLIGENCE DAMAGES

ILAC opposes this legislation, which would amends the Condominium Property Act to require that if there is negligence on the part of the board resulting in the loss of use of a unit by the unit owner, a portion of the reserves must be designated for use to assist the unit owner in covering expenses incurred as a result of the loss of use if the unit owner does not carry Category D loss-of-use insurance.

ILAC finds that this bill lacks sufficient definitions and clarity and failed to specify how “board negligence” would be determined. The legislation also confuses the reserve obligations under the Act and fails to account for how association reserves could be designated for an individual unit owner.

Status: Re-referred to Assignments at End of Session

SB 2125 – BULK SALES

ILAC opposes this legislation, which would amend the Condominium Property Act to provides that a vote to sell the property shall take place at one meeting called for such purpose and may be extended by no more than 24 hours. It would provide that notice of the meeting shall be provided 72 hours in advance to all unit owners. Under this legislation, upon an affirmative vote to sell the property, the board would be required to notify all State and local legislators representing the legislative district in which the property lies of the intent to sign a contract for sale of the property at least 90 days before signing the contract for sale. Additionally, bylaws that include matters subject to the affirmative vote of not less than 2/3 of the votes of unit owners at a meeting called for that purpose would be required to include the investigation and initiation of a bulk sale of the property.

The timing requirements in this bill would conflict with the requirements of the Act. ILAC opposes the fact that the bill attempts to prohibit association members from considering and voting on a bulk sale at more than one meeting, especially since no other corporate entity is statutorily restricted from having members vote on member issues in such a way. The bill also lacks clarify and sufficient definitions for terms.

Status: Re-referred to Assignments at End of Session

SB 1383 – CONDO OMBUDSMAN SUNSET REPEALED

ILAC supports this legislation, which would amend the Condominium and Common Interest Community Ombudsperson Act to repeal the sunset of January 1, 2026.

Status: Passed Senate; Passed House – Will be sent to Governor.

SB 1820 – CONDO MEDIATION-ARBITRATION

ILAC is monitoring this legislation, which would require the Condominium and Common Interest Community Ombudsperson to act as the mediator or arbitrator for any mediation or arbitration done under the Act.

Status: Re-referred to Assignments at End of Session

HB 1813 and HB 3552 – ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS

ILAC is monitoring these bills, under which a municipality would have to allow the building or usage of accessory dwelling units. ILAC is monitoring this legislation for amendments impacting a community association’s ability to create reasonable rules and regulations around the placement of accessory dwelling unit that would conflict with CAI’s public policy on Accessory Dwelling Units.

Under HB 1813, a municipality would be permitted to provide reasonable regulations relating to the size and location of accessory dwelling units similar to other accessory structures unless a regulation would have the effect of prohibiting accessory dwelling units. Under HB 3552, unit of local government would be able to provide reasonable regulations relating to the size and location of accessory dwelling units similar to other accessory structures unless a regulation would have the effect of prohibiting accessory dwelling units of at least 1,200 square feet. It would also not be permitted to create regulations that contain fees other than building permit review fee.

Status: Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

HB 3186 – ADVERTISEMENT HOA FEES

ILAC is monitoring this legislation, which would amend the Real Estate License Act of 2000, requiring advertising under the Act to contain information about the nature and cost of homeowner’s association fees if residential real estate is being advertised.

Status: Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

HB 3307 – OMBUDSPERSON MGT RECEIVERSHIP

ILAC is monitoring this legislation, which would require receivers of mortgaged real estate to use reasonable efforts to make repairs and improvements as necessary to comply with building, housing, or other similar codes that necessary for the safety, accessibility, and habitability of residential real estate. This legislation would also establish the Residential Real Estate Ombudsperson Program intended to ensure that tenants of residential real estate in receivership continue to have safe, habitable, and accessible homes throughout the receivership process and to facilitate communication between tenants, the receiver, and the court. Courts in counties of 50,000 or more residents must establish such a program, and in courts in counties of less than 50,000 residents may establish such a program but would not be required to do so.

Status: Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

HB 1593 – FREE COMMUNITY LIBRARIES

ILAC is monitoring this legislation, which would require community associations allow a resident or owner to operate a little free library on the resident’s or owner’s property so long as the area is maintained, the little free library does not extend over or onto neighboring properties, public or common sidewalks, pathways, streets or other public or common areas or elements, and does not interfere with traffic or utilities. An association would be able to adopt reasonable rules and regulations governing a little free library that do not impair a little free library’s maintenance and care or impose height restrictions.

Status: Re-referred to Rules Committee at End of Session

SB 2451 – ACCESSIBLE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION ACT

ILAC monitored this bill, which sought to create the Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Station Act. Under this Act, the Department of Transportation would have been required to ensure that charging stations in Illinois are accessible to allow independent use by drivers with disabilities. Chargers would have been required to be designed to serve people who use mobility devices to be located on an accessible route.

Under this legislation, a charging space with mobility features would have been required to provide a vehicle space with a minimum width of at least 11 feet and a minimum length of at least 20 feet. Additionally, chargers would have had to provide a clear floor or ground space meeting ADA requirements for ground and floor surfaces. For these accessible chargers, connectors would need to be usable with one hand and no tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and with no more than 5 pounds of force.

ILAC monitored this bill for amendments misaligned with CAI’s public policy on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. CAI supports legislation that recognizes the core principle of self-governance and co-ownership of common property and the community association housing model. As each association is unique, legislation should allow the community to determine the most efficient, fair, and effective method to provide electric vehicle charging stations.

Status: Postponed with no hearing