2026-09-09 · California · Legislation · Did not pass

A bill that would have made recordings of open board meetings an inspectable association record, barred boards from deliberating by serial email, and required litigation to be named in the annual budget report has expired without becoming law. AB 1184 was styled the Homeowner Association Accountability and Transparency Act of 2026.

Its final recorded action, dated August 27, 2026, reads: “In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.” No concurrence vote was taken before the August 31 deadline for either house to pass bills, and the 2025–2026 session has since adjourned.¹

Like AB 1903, it never drew a no vote anywhere: the Assembly passed it 69–0 in January, Senate Judiciary approved it 13–0 in June, and the Senate passed it 38–0 on August 26.

Meeting recordings would have become records

The centerpiece was a new Civil Code section 4941. Where an association electronically recorded an open session, the recording would have become an association record available to members in the same way written minutes are.²

Recordings made solely to prepare minutes could have been deleted 12 months after the minutes were completed. Notice that a meeting was being recorded would have been required.

Serial email deliberation would have been barred

Section 4910 would have prohibited a majority of directors from using “a series of communications to deliberate or act on any item of business” outside an authorized meeting, except in emergencies. Informational or ministerial communications not involving deliberation or action were expressly exempted.

And minutes would have said considerably more

Section 4950 would have barred any charge for electronically distributed minutes, allowed website posting to satisfy distribution, and required minutes to state the meeting's date, time, location and type, the notice status, and director attendance. On votes to adopt operating rules, minutes would have had to record each director's individual vote.

Section 4935 would have required executive session minutes discussing litigation to state the case name, case number and court. Section 5300 would have required the annual budget report to disclose any active litigation naming the association, with court and case number. Section 5100 would have excluded operating rule amendments from the secret ballot requirement, and section 4360 made nonsubstantive changes to emergency rule provisions.

1. AB 1184, California Legislature — complete bill history, last action 08/27/26 'In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.' ↩
2. AB 1184, California Legislature — bill text and Legislative Counsel's Digest (adding Civil Code § 4941; amending §§ 4360, 4910, 4935, 4950, 5100, 5120, 5205, 5300) ↩
3. AB 1184, California Legislature — bill status (Homeowner Association Accountability and Transparency Act of 2026) ↩
4. CAI-CLAC, Legislative Session Hot Bills — status recorded as 'In Assembly on Concurrence' ↩