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Panel backs bill to remove HOA additional-insured requirement for homeowner EV chargers; insurers and HOAs seek clarifications
Summary
The committee advanced SB 770, which would remove the explicit requirement that homeowners name their HOA as an additional insured for privately installed EV chargers in shared parking, after testimony that the requirement often prevents residents in multifamily buildings from obtaining coverage and installing chargers.
Senate Bill 770, introduced as part of efforts to remove barriers to EV adoption in multifamily housing, would eliminate a statutory requirement that homeowners who install EV chargers name the homeowners association (HOA) as an additional insured on their insurance policy. Supporters said the additional-insured requirement has been difficult or impossible for many homeowners to obtain and can double premiums, effectively blocking EV access for residents of shared-parking developments.
Brandon Wong of CalSTART described the insurance requirement as an “undue complex barrier” and testified that staff surveys and member experiences show consumers often can’t find an insurance agent willing to add an HOA as an additional insured or are quoted sharply higher premiums. “We actually did have an employee based in West Sacramento who was dealing with, essentially, this exact problem,” Wong said, urging the committee to remove the statutory hurdle.
Opponents, including the Community Associations Institute (CAI), said removing the additional-insured requirement shifts potential liability to all HOA members and could raise premiums for homeowners who do not install chargers. CAI witnesses said some carriers do offer coverage naming HOAs and raised concerns about common-area infrastructure upgrades, vandalism and replacement costs in older developments.
Committee members discussed insurance and indemnity mechanics and whether HOA master policies would still cover vandalism or damage to chargers installed in common areas. The author said nothing in the bill would prevent HOAs from procuring coverage for chargers the association owns or from seeking indemnity from a homeowner’s carrier when appropriate.
The committee passed the bill on a party-line recorded vote to the Insurance Committee, where opponents expected to press for clearer statutory language; supporters said they will continue working on language and guardrails, and the author committed to follow-up clarifications and stakeholder conversations.
