For decades, the structural framework governing community associations across the Commonwealth has been dictated by Title 68 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which encompasses the Uniform Condominium Act, the Real Estate Cooperative Act, and the Uniform Planned Community Act. Under these statutes, volunteer executive boards wield broad powers to enact rules, manage common elements, and levy assessments within their buildings and HOAs. However, a growing legislative focus on transparency has led to proposals aimed at tightening the rules surrounding association governance.
A key piece of pending legislation addressing this friction is Pennsylvania House Bill 1174, introduced during the 2025–2026 legislative session with the stated aim of improving HOA transparency. The bill's prime sponsor is Representative Joe Webster (D-150), with co-sponsors drawn from both sides of the aisle. HB 1174 targets the rules governing how executive boards communicate with residents, handle meetings, and enter executive sessions.
Redefining Notice & Meeting Standards
The primary purpose of House Bill 1174 is to modernize and standardize meeting requirements while ensuring that unit owners have access to board decision-making.
Currently, state law provides a window of not less than 10 nor more than 60 days for delivering notice of upcoming annual or regularly scheduled association meetings. HB 1174 tightens this standard, amending Title 68 to state that the board secretary or designated officer must cause notice to be hand-delivered or sent via the USPS not less than 21 days in advance of any regular meeting.
The bill also spells out the parameters for alternative delivery methods and virtual meetings:
Meeting Notice Content: The written notice must explicitly state the time, date, and place for the meeting, and the items on the agenda. This includes detailing the general nature of any proposed amendments to the declarations or bylaws, any budget or assessment changes, and any proposal to remove an executive board director or officer.
Virtual Protocols: Recognizing the widespread adoption of remote meetings since the covid pandemic, the bill officially authorizes participation via conference telephone or electronic internet technology, provided the platform allows all participants to hear each other simultaneously.
Recordings: The bill permits the association to implement reasonable rules regarding the electronic recording of meetings, specifically to prevent interference with the proceedings.
Shifting Rules for Executive Sessions
The most significant operational boundary established by HB 1174 impacts the use of executive sessions—private meetings where board members deliberate outside the presence of unit owners.
The bill establishes that all meetings of the unit owners' association or the executive board, including committees and subcommittees, must be open to all unit owners of record. To close a meeting and enter an executive session, the board must meet a newly refined set of criteria:
- To consider personnel matters
- To consult with legal counsel
- To discuss and consider contracts, probable or pending litigation, or matters involving violations of the association's rules and regulations
- To discuss the personal financial liability of unit owners to the association, provided an affirmative vote is held in an open meeting to assemble into executive session
Crucially, the legislation now mandates that before closing the doors or muting the digital feed, the board must make a formal motion in the open meeting stating specifically the purpose for the executive session.
Implications for Boards & Residents
The introduction of HB 1174 reflects a trend toward state-level oversight of private community governance. If enacted, boards will no longer be able to arbitrarily call an executive session to discuss sensitive community matters, and agenda tracking will require meticulous detail at least three weeks before an annual or regular meeting is convened.
For unit owners and HOA residents, the bill represents an effort to eliminate closed-door budgeting and unannounced rule alterations, making transparency the law of the land, rather than just best practices.
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