Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 924
       
       
        
       By Senator Martin
       
       
       
       
       
       33-01650-26                                            2026924__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to roofing material restrictions for
    3         homeowners’ associations; amending s. 720.3035, F.S.;
    4         revising the prohibition on the adoption of certain
    5         covenants, rules, or guidelines by a homeowners’
    6         association or a specified committee of an association
    7         to include a prohibition on requiring specific types
    8         of materials for the building or rebuilding of a roof
    9         if the built or rebuilt roof meets certain criteria
   10         and standards; amending s. 720.3075, F.S.; revising
   11         the prohibited clauses in homeowners’ association
   12         documents to include a requirement that a property
   13         owner may not be precluded from using any type of
   14         building material to build or rebuild his or her roof
   15         if the built or rebuilt roof meets certain criteria
   16         and standards; amending s. 720.303, F.S.; conforming a
   17         provision to changes made by the act; reenacting s.
   18         617.0825(9), F.S., relating to board committees and
   19         advisory committees, to incorporate the amendment made
   20         to s. 720.3035, F.S., in a reference thereto;
   21         providing an effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
   26  720.3035, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   27         720.3035 Architectural control covenants; parcel owner
   28  improvements; rights and privileges.—
   29         (1)
   30         (b) An association or any architectural, construction
   31  improvement, or other such similar committee of an association
   32  may not enforce or adopt a covenant, rule, or guideline that:
   33         1. Limits or places requirements on the interior of a
   34  structure that is not visible from the parcel’s frontage or an
   35  adjacent parcel, an adjacent common area, or a community golf
   36  course.
   37         2. Requires the review and approval of plans and
   38  specifications for a central air-conditioning, refrigeration,
   39  heating, or ventilating system by the association or any
   40  architectural, construction improvement, or other such similar
   41  committee of an association, if such system is not visible from
   42  the parcel’s frontage, an adjacent parcel, an adjacent common
   43  area, or a community golf course and is substantially similar to
   44  a system that is approved or recommended by the association or a
   45  committee thereof.
   46         3. Requires that a specific type of material be used on the
   47  building or rebuilding of a roof, provided the built or rebuilt
   48  roof appears to be substantially identical in shape and color
   49  with the roofing requirements created by the association or any
   50  architectural, construction improvement, or other such similar
   51  committee of the association, and that such roofing materials
   52  adhere to the roof systems recognized by the Florida Building
   53  Code which meet ASCE 7-22 standards pursuant to paragraph
   54  (6)(c).
   55         Section 2. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (3) of
   56  section 720.3075, Florida Statutes, to read:
   57         720.3075 Prohibited clauses in association documents.—
   58         (3) Homeowners’ association documents, including
   59  declarations of covenants, articles of incorporation, or bylaws,
   60  may not preclude:
   61         (g) A property owner from using any type of building
   62  material to build or rebuild his or her roof, provided the built
   63  or rebuilt roof appears to be substantially identical in shape
   64  and color with the roofing requirements created by the
   65  association or any architectural, construction improvement, or
   66  other such similar committee of the association, and that such
   67  roofing materials adhere to the roof systems recognized by the
   68  Florida Building Code which meet ASCE 7-22 standards pursuant to
   69  s. 720.3035(6)(c).
   70         Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 720.303, Florida
   71  Statutes, is amended to read:
   72         720.303 Association powers and duties; meetings of board;
   73  official records; budgets; financial reporting; association
   74  funds; recalls.—
   75         (1) POWERS AND DUTIES.—An association that operates a
   76  community as defined in s. 720.301 must be operated by an
   77  association that is a Florida corporation. After October 1,
   78  1995, the association must be incorporated and the initial
   79  governing documents must be recorded in the official records of
   80  the county in which the community is located. An association may
   81  operate more than one community. The officers and directors of
   82  an association are subject to s. 617.0830 and have a fiduciary
   83  relationship to the members who are served by the association.
   84  The powers and duties of an association include those set forth
   85  in this chapter and, except as expressly limited or restricted
   86  in this chapter, those set forth in the governing documents.
   87  After control of the association is obtained by members other
   88  than the developer, the association may institute, maintain,
   89  settle, or appeal actions or hearings in its name on behalf of
   90  all members concerning matters of common interest to the
   91  members, including, but not limited to, the common areas; roof
   92  or structural components of a building, or other improvements
   93  for which the association is responsible; mechanical,
   94  electrical, or plumbing elements serving an improvement or
   95  building for which the association is responsible;
   96  representations of the developer pertaining to any existing or
   97  proposed commonly used facility; and protest of ad valorem taxes
   98  on commonly used facilities. The association may defend actions
   99  in eminent domain or bring inverse condemnation actions. Before
  100  commencing litigation against any party in the name of the
  101  association involving amounts in controversy in excess of
  102  $100,000, the association must obtain the affirmative approval
  103  of a majority of the voting interests at a meeting of the
  104  membership at which a quorum has been attained. This subsection
  105  does not limit any statutory or common-law right of any
  106  individual member or class of members to bring any action
  107  without participation by the association. A member does not have
  108  authority to act for the association by virtue of being a
  109  member. An association may have more than one class of members
  110  and may issue membership certificates. An association of 15 or
  111  fewer parcel owners may enforce only the requirements of those
  112  deed restrictions established prior to the purchase of each
  113  parcel upon an affected parcel owner or owners.
  114         Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
  115  made by this act to section 720.3035, Florida Statutes, in a
  116  reference thereto, subsection (9) of section 617.0825, Florida
  117  Statutes, is reenacted to read:
  118         617.0825 Board committees and advisory committees.—
  119         (9) This section does not apply to a committee established
  120  under chapter 718, chapter 719, or chapter 720 to perform the
  121  functions set forth in s. 718.303(3), s. 719.303(3), s.
  122  720.3035(1), s. 720.305(2), or s. 720.405, respectively.
  123         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.