SB 230: Condominiums; maximum amount of insurance deductibles payable by unit owners; remove the limitation

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Discussed in meetings (11)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

1. Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, February 17, 2026

   From 1:04:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor initially presented removal of the $5,000 limit on condominium insurance deductibles chargeable to unit owners. An attorney volunteering for the Community Associations Institute said associations struggled to obtain affordable coverage with that deductible. The attorney said higher deductibles left gaps funded through reserves or special charges to all owners. A second institute witness, a community association manager and insurance agent, said owners’ individual condominium policies could cover higher deductibles more affordably. Members questioned unlimited increases, affordability, individual-policy premiums and how associations could legally charge owners for the gap. The witnesses said many owners already carried coverage for higher water deductibles and said the change would not increase individual-policy premiums. The attorney said special charges depended on associations’ governing documents. A member suggested raising the cap to $25,000 rather than removing it. The sponsor then located a previously approved committee version that did exactly that and required timely written notice of significant deductible changes, with delivery alternatives allowed by owners’ written consent. Members said the folders contained the original bill rather than that committee version. The chair said the committee would return with the correct version at the next meeting. No vote was taken.

2. Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, February 19, 2026

   From 0:21:03 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute raising the maximum condominium insurance deductible payable by a unit owner from $5,000 to $25,000, rather than removing the cap entirely, and adding notification language. A committee member with insurance experience said associations could not obtain master policies with $5,000 deductibles and that the existing cap could leave a $20,000 gap when a master policy had a $25,000 deductible. That member said individual condominium policies could cover the gap under the change, instead of spreading the expense among owners through assessments. Members questioned whether individual premiums would rise and whether those policies had adequate coverage limits. The member expected little premium impact but acknowledged limited experience with condominium policies. The chair clarified that assessment coverage limits vary by insurer and owners should check their policies. A witness for the Community Associations Institute also acknowledged not being an insurance expert. Members discussed whether lenders or associations require individual coverage, without establishing how many owners lack it. Another member questioned whether owners would face additional costs and whether board approval was needed. The chair said boards negotiate master policies and owners elect boards. The committee approved the substitute, with the chair counting six in favor and one opposed.

3. Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 0:21:12 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would raise the condominium insurance deductible cap from $5,000 to $25,000, describing the existing cap as nearly two decades old. The sponsor also described a committee amendment requiring timely notice of changes to a master policy's deductible. No questions followed, and the bill was not selected for the floor calendar.

4. Senate Rules Committee, February 26, 2026

   From 0:12:30 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair briefly called up SB 230 and said it had already been covered. No further explanation or action followed.

5. Senate Rules Committee, March 3, 2026

   From 0:20:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 230 would raise the condominium insurance deductible cap from $5,000 to $25,000. The sponsor said the cap had not increased in more than two decades and that the change would make master policies more competitive. No substantive questions followed. Members selected the bill for the calendar as part of the approved slate.

6. Senate floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27)

   From 5:37:39 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 230 would allow higher deductibles on condominium master insurance policies to help associations obtain more competitive rates. The sponsor distinguished the building-wide policy from individual unit policies and said the change aimed to improve affordability. The clerk described the committee substitute as increasing, rather than eliminating, the maximum deductible payable by unit owners and adding notice requirements. An amendment sponsor proposed repealing the state restriction on local rent regulation, saying cities and counties should decide whether to regulate rents. The amendment sponsor cited rising rents and students’ difficulty finding housing near campuses, and said 44 other states allowed local control. A questioning senator raised whether rent regulation would reduce housing supply. Another senator supported the amendment as a concrete way to address renters’ costs. The amendment failed 22-32. The Senate adopted the committee substitute and passed it 51-2.

7. House Insurance Committee, March 20, 2026

   From 0:37:45 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 230 would raise the condominium master-policy deductible cap from $5,000 to $25,000 and require notice when the deductible changes. The sponsor said the existing cap limited competitive insurance options and that the industry considered $25,000 a workable level for obtaining lower premiums. Asked about costs to unit owners, a property-management broker and insurance agent said most owners’ condominium policies already covered that deductible amount and that the witness was not seeing related premium increases. Another member raised concerns about special assessments and possible foreclosure. The witness answered that special assessments were governed separately and were not addressed by this bill. A committee member explained that the substitute also included HB 1042, describing confidentiality protections for judges’ addresses and title-insurance provisions. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote, with no numerical count stated.

8. House Rules Committee, March 31, 2026

   From 0:52:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor gave an update on SB 230, saying it began as a measure about condominium master-policy insurance deductibles but had expanded substantially in the House Insurance Committee. The sponsor said sections one through five contained another House member's proposal, while section six retained the underlying measure. The added provisions were not explained. There were no questions or recorded decisions.

• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:40:23
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, AM), 0:51:06
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29), 1:09:06

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