Legislative

ACT NOW: Defend YOUR Community’s Self-Governance Ability in Tennessee

We are asking for opposition to HB 2306 / SB 2282 – Childcare!

CAI urgently needs your help opposing restrictive legislation in Tennessee that would impact community associations across the state. This legislation conflicts with CAI’s Residential Childcare Facility Public Policy.  Tell Legislators in Nashville to allow homeowners the right of self-governance in community associations.  Tell legislators this bill changes the terms of existing association contracts. Residents choose to live in neighborhoods and to establish rules through elected volunteer leaders who have a vested interest in their communities. Such a process establishes reasonable rules and regulations best for each particular neighborhood, rather than state-imposed uniform approaches.

Removing the ability for homeowners to regulate commercial activities in community associations, including childcare, will increase costs, reduce property values for homes in the area and will increase member assessments.

Tell your legislators that Tennesseans in community associations do not support legislation like HB 2306/SB 2282. CAI does not oppose the goal of HB 2306/HB2282 and has worked with legislators in other states to facilitate home based childcare.

If passed, HB 2306/SB 2282 would remove a community association’s ability to regulate home-based childcare facilities within an association if the childcare owner has obtained proper state licenses and permits. The bill will void governing documents for both condominiums and homeowners’ associations that do not comply with the new requirement. 

These cross-filed bills take this concept a step further, and also impose civil penalties and punitive damage penalties up to $1,000 for violations. This legislation will apply to all new declarations as well as existing declarations amended on or after its effective date which is proposed as August 2026. The bill contains no limits on the number of home-based childcare facilities in a community nor notice requirements to Boards for who is operating these facilities. If this bill passes, providing for the quiet enjoyment particularly for residents living in densely populated communities, such as condominiums, will be extremely challenging. The Bill will be considered in the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday, March 10 and the House Cities & Counties Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 11. Contact the Senate committees NOW and urge them to OPPOSE SB 2282.

Please share with your personal and professional network contacts within the community association industry. Here’s a direct link to the campaign in the Take Action center: https://www.votervoice.net/CAI/Campaigns/135065/Respond

Please take the following actions to support this effort:

1. Use this link to email your representatives.

2. Don’t forget to personalize your message!

3. This campaign can be accessed by anyone with an address in Tennessee, regardless of whether or not they are a CAI member.

4. Share the call to action on social media using the attached image and the links above in order to expand the reach of this call to action.

5. Discuss the issue with your neighbors! You can connect with them in-person, via online portals or listservs, by posting information around the community, etc.

With gratitude,

CAI’s Tennessee Legislative Action Committee