Florida homeowners searching for Kaufman language, Florida HOA laws or new condominium laws in 2026 may encounter information suggesting that major changes were scheduled to take effect July 1. Those changes were contained in HB 657, an 85-page community-association bill that passed the Florida House but did not become law. The measure died in the Senate Rules Committee on March 13, 2026, meaning its proposed Kaufman-language requirements never took effect.

That distinction matters because HB 657 would have significantly changed how Kaufman language was handled by both newly created and existing Florida homeowners and condominium associations. It also illustrates why homeowners need to distinguish between a bill that passes one chamber of the Florida Legislature and a bill that actually becomes Florida law.

What Is Kaufman Language in a Florida HOA or Condominium?

Kaufman language generally refers to wording in an association's governing documents that incorporates future changes to Florida's community-association statutes. Florida legislative analysis describes the concept through language providing that an association and its governing documents are subject to the applicable Florida HOA or Condominium Act “as amended from time to time.” 

Those few words can matter because association declarations function in important respects as contracts. When governing documents incorporate future statutory amendments, later changes to Florida law may apply differently than they would to governing documents without such language. The issue therefore reaches far beyond the wording itself and into questions about which version of Florida law governs an association.

Why Is It Called “Kaufman Language”?

The term comes from Florida case law addressing whether later statutory changes could be incorporated into condominium governing documents. Over time, “Kaufman language” became the commonly used shorthand for provisions incorporating future legislative amendments into association documents.

For homeowners, the practical question is usually much simpler: Does my HOA or condominium declaration contain language that incorporates future changes in Florida law? That question has become increasingly important as Florida lawmakers have repeatedly changed statutes governing community associations.

What Would Florida HB 657 Have Changed About Kaufman Language?

HB 657 would have required every condominium association and homeowners association formed on or after July 1, 2026, to include Kaufman language in its governing documents. That language would effectively have subjected the association and its documents to current community-association laws and future amendments to those laws.

Existing associations would have been treated differently. Rather than automatically inserting Kaufman language into older documents, HB 657 would have required associations existing before July 1, 2026, to hold a membership meeting by January 1, 2027, at which owners would vote on whether to amend the governing documents.

Did Florida HB 657 Pass in 2026?

No. The Florida House approved HB 657 on March 5, 2026, but the legislation subsequently went to the Senate and was referred to the Rules Committee. It died in Rules on March 13, when the regular legislative session ended.

That means the bill's proposed July 1, 2026 effective date did not become law. Florida homeowners should therefore be cautious about older articles, legislative summaries or social-media posts describing what HB 657 “will” require without updating the legislation's final status.

Would Existing Florida HOAs Have Been Forced to Add Kaufman Language?

Not automatically. The House proposal required an existing HOA or condominium association to conduct a membership vote on whether to amend its documents. Approval would have required a majority of the voting interests at a membership meeting where a quorum had been attained.

That distinction is important. HB 657 would have required associations to put the question before their members, while new associations would have been required to include the language from their creation.

Why Did Florida Lawmakers Propose Requiring Kaufman Language?

HB 657's Kaufman provision addressed a longstanding problem created by the relationship between association governing documents and later changes in state law. Florida legislative analysis explains that constitutional protections against impairment of contracts can prevent subsequent legislation from changing certain contractual rights established in older governing documents.

Kaufman language provides one mechanism for addressing that problem because the governing documents themselves prospectively incorporate legislative changes. In practical terms, the proposal would have made future changes in Florida's HOA and condominium statutes more readily applicable to associations created after the bill's proposed effective date.

Kaufman Language Was Only One Part of a Much Larger Florida HOA Reform Bill

HB 657 went considerably beyond Kaufman language. Among other provisions, it addressed HOA dissolution, conflicts of interest, association records, electronic voting, dispute resolution and a proposed community association court program within Florida's judicial circuits.

The breadth of the legislation helps explain why different groups could support some portions while objecting to others. Opposition to HB 657 as a whole therefore should not automatically be interpreted as opposition specifically to its Kaufman-language provision.

Who Supported Florida HB 657?

The measure was sponsored by Rep. Juan Porras and accumulated numerous House co-sponsors before receiving overwhelming approval in that chamber. Supporters portrayed broader HOA reform as a way to strengthen homeowner protections, transparency and mechanisms for resolving disputes involving associations. A January survey reported by Florida Politics found 78% of surveyed Florida voters supported the measure's stated HOA-reform aims, although that polling concerned the broader package rather than Kaufman language by itself.

Legislative testimony also included organized homeowner-reform advocates. Records summarized by LegiPlex identify representatives of the HOA Reform League and Florida HOA Reform Homeowners appearing as proponents of HB 657 during the legislative process.

Why Did the Community Associations Institute Oppose HB 657?

One prominent opponent was the Community Associations Institute's Florida Legislative Alliance, which says it advocates on issues affecting Florida community associations. CAI-FLA reported that it opposed HB 657 and organized a grassroots campaign in which 399 advocates contacted 94 legislators.

CAI-FLA argued that the legislation could create unintended consequences involving association governance, finances and daily operations. Its objections extended beyond Kaufman language to provisions concerning HOA termination, voting and document amendments, dispute resolution and the proposed community-association court system. Those arguments represent CAI-FLA's position on the legislation rather than a finding that those consequences would necessarily have occurred.

What Were the Arguments Over HOA Dissolution and Community Association Courts?

HB 657 would have created procedures through which an HOA could ultimately be terminated and would have authorized judicial circuits to establish specialized community-association court programs. Supporters saw portions of the broader reform effort as additional ways for homeowners to address dysfunctional associations and association disputes.

Opponents raised different concerns. CAI representative Travis Moore told WFSU that eliminating pre-suit mediation in favor of court proceedings could increase legal costs, while a Tampa-area Realtor interviewed by Spectrum Bay News 9 questioned what would happen to shared amenities and services if an HOA were dissolved without an adequate replacement structure.

Were Florida Realtors Lobbying for or Against HB 657?

Florida Realtors was active on numerous property-related measures during the 2026 session, but its published end-of-session legislative report does not identify HB 657 among the organization's highlighted victories or defeats. The report discusses other real-estate regulatory, property-rights, housing and condominium issues.

For that reason, it would be premature to characterize Florida Realtors as either a principal supporter or opponent of HB 657 based on the public material reviewed for this article. Individual real-estate professionals did publicly discuss aspects of the proposal, but an individual's position should not be presented as the statewide trade organization's position.

Did Everyone Opposing HB 657 Represent HOA Boards or Management Interests?

No. The debate did not break neatly into homeowners versus associations. Florida Politics reported that Coral Springs resident Jonathan Gonzalez opposed HB 657 despite having his own contentious history with his condominium association. He specifically argued that mandatory Kaufman language for new associations could give future Legislatures too much power to alter the rules governing existing communities.

That disagreement illustrates an important policy question surrounding Kaufman language itself. Incorporating future legislation can make it easier for later homeowner protections to apply, but it also means owners are agreeing in advance that future statutory changes—not yet written when the documents are signed—may become applicable.

Does Your Florida HOA Already Have Kaufman Language?

Homeowners interested in the issue should begin with their association's recorded declaration and any subsequent amendments. Language stating that the association is governed by Chapter 720, Chapter 718 or other applicable Florida statutes “as amended from time to time” may indicate the type of provision commonly described as Kaufman language.

However, identifying a phrase is not necessarily the same thing as determining how a particular statute applies to a particular association. The governing documents, their effective dates, subsequent amendments and the specific statute involved can all matter, making document-specific legal advice appropriate when an actual dispute is involved.

Why Kaufman Language Still Matters Even Though HB 657 Failed

The failure of HB 657 did not eliminate the underlying legal issue. Florida continues to revise laws governing HOAs and condominiums, while thousands of associations operate under declarations written years or even decades earlier. Kaufman language remains one of the mechanisms that can determine how those newer statutory changes interact with older governing documents.

The 2026 debate also demonstrated that the subject has moved beyond an obscure phrase found primarily in court opinions and association-law offices. Florida lawmakers considered making Kaufman language a standard feature of every newly formed HOA and condominium association before the broader legislation stalled in the Senate.

Could Florida Kaufman Language Legislation Return in 2027?

HB 657 itself is dead, and legislation that failed in the 2026 session does not simply carry forward into another legislative session. Any similar proposal would require new legislative action. CAI's end-of-session report likewise notes that unsuccessful Florida legislation does not carry over from one year to the next.

Whether lawmakers revive Kaufman-language requirements, pursue a narrower proposal or leave the current framework unchanged will depend on future legislation. For homeowners, board members and property managers, that makes the subject worth watching rather than assuming the 2026 proposal permanently settled it.

The Bottom Line for Florida HOA and Condo Owners

HB 657 did not change Florida's Kaufman-language requirements because HB 657 never became law. But the proposal is still important: the Florida House came close to establishing an entirely new framework under which new associations would contain Kaufman language and existing associations would have to vote on adding it.

For homeowners searching for answers in 2026, the distinction is straightforward: understand what your current governing documents say, distinguish enacted law from proposed legislation, and watch what Tallahassee does next. That makes this article a natural companion to the existing OutdoorLiving101 explainer on what Kaufman language means and why it can determine whether later changes in Florida law apply to an association.

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