2018 Legislation
Legislation that works for British Columbians
Fall 2018 session
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Supporting an independent gambling regulator
Amendments to the Gaming Control Act will help create a stronger, more independent gambling regulator to better protect against organized crime using B.C. casinos to launder money.
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Passenger Transportation Amendment Act
The Passenger Transportation Amendment Act will allow ride-hailing companies to enter the B.C. market next year, while putting priority on safety for passengers.
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Seniors and patients to benefit from fair workplace
The proposed Health Sector Statues Repeal Act will strengthen employer protections to health-sector workers and remove the major financial incentive of contract flipping for companies to reduce or avoid unionized labour costs.
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Putting public interest first in resource development
The new Environmental Assessment Act will provide a clear and timely path for the approval of responsible resource projects, pursue reconciliation with B.C.’s Indigenous peoples, increase public engagement and transparency and deliver stronger environmental protections.
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Protecting farmland for farming
The Agricultural Land Commission Act will revitalize the ALC and the Agricultural Land Reserve, to ensure the Commission can easily and effectively fulfil their mandate, and to support farming and ranching throughout British Columbia.
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Standing up for human rights
The Human Rights Code Amendment Act will re-establish a human rights commission for B.C. to promote and protect human rights for all British Columbians. The Act will allow the creation of an independent human rights commissioner that reports to the Legislative Assembly.
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Banning big money from recall campaigns
The Recall and Initiative Amendment Act 2018 will make campaigns to recall members of the legislative assembly more fair by banning corporate and union donations, as well as creating new rules for recall advertising sponsors.
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Strengthening confidence in public decision-making
The Lobbyist Registration Amendment Act will increase lobbying transparency and accountability in British Columbia. The proposed changes build on government’s continuing work to strengthen democracy for all British Columbians by increasing the public’s access to information on lobbying activity.
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Protecting B.C.’s vulnerable temporary foreign workers
The Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act will enforce worker rights and better protect people coming to work in B.C. under the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
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Keeping people and goods moving in Metro Vancouver
The amendment to the Parking Rights Tax will enable the region to continue investing in important transit and transportation improvements identified in the Mayors’ Council 10-year Vision for Metro Vancouver.
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Trusting in natural resource decision making
The Professional Governance Act and the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance will provide strengthened science-based public oversight of how B.C.’s natural resources are managed and make sure consistency and best practices are applied in the Professional Reliance model.
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Tackling speculation in the housing market
The Speculation and Vacancy Tax Act aims to ensure those who use local services, without paying B.C. income taxes, contribute their fair share.
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Eliminating unfair MSP premiums
The Employer Health Tax (EHT) will replace regressive Medical Service Plan (MSP) premiums.
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Protecting jobs and supporting local economies
The Assessment Amendment Act, 2018 ensures major industrial operations aren’t affected by unintended tax increases following changes in an official community plan, sustaining their operations and the jobs they create.
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Breaking the cycle of poverty
The Poverty Reduction Strategy Act sets targets and timelines for lifting thousands of people in B.C. out of poverty, and defines the scope of B.C.’s first Poverty Reduction Strategy, to be released in early 2019.
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Giving people the final say on B.C.’s voting system
The Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Amendment Act will ensure British Columbians have the opportunity to vote in a confirming referendum on electoral reform, if the majority vote in this fall’s referendum to change B.C.’s voting system.
Spring 2018 session
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Safeguarding freedom of expression
The Protection of Public Participation Act will address the issue of strategic lawsuits against public participation (known as SLAPP) that prevent or limit freedom of expression on matters of public interest.
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Putting targets in place for a cleaner, low-carbon economy
The Climate Change Accountability Act will replace the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act and sets new legislated targets of a 40% reduction in carbon emissions from 2007 levels by 2030, and a 60% reduction from 2007 levels by 2040.
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Protecting park land for British Columbians
Proposed amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act include the renaming of three provincial parks as part of reconciliation efforts with Indigenous peoples.
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Helping TransLink address congestion in Vancouver
The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Amendment Act will better position TransLink to implement improvements to roads and cycling, as well as pedestrian and public-transit infrastructure.
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Removing drug-affected drivers from the road
B.C. will increase training for law enforcement, and will toughen provincial regulations to give police more tools to remove drug-affected drivers from the road and deter drug-affected driving.
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Regulation of legalized cannabis in B.C.
The proposed Cannabis Control and Licensing Act is guided by the Province’s priorities of protecting children and youth, promoting health and safety, keeping the criminal element out of cannabis, keeping B.C. roads safe, and supporting economic development.
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Preparing for the legalization of non-medical cannabis
The proposed Cannabis Distribution Act (CDA) will establish the Province’s exclusive jurisdiction over wholesale distribution of cannabis, and provide authority for public retail sales.
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Prohibiting payment for blood and plasma collection
The Voluntary Blood Donations Act will help preserve the integrity of Canada’s public blood and plasma collection system by preventing payment for blood and plasma collection in B.C.
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Getting counterfeit pills off the street
The Pill Press and Related Equipment Control Act will restrict ownership, possession and use of equipment that can be used to make illicit drugs.
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Improving Indigenous child-welfare
Proposed changes to the Child, Family and Community Service Act will increase involvement of Indigenous communities in child-welfare decisions to help keep their children out of care, safe in their home communities and connected to their cultures.
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Requiring communities to assess their housing needs
This information collected by way of the Local Government Statutes Amendment Act will assist with community planning and help the provincial government target resources where they are needed most.
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Ensuring fair supply of rental housing
The Local Government Statutes Amendment Act offers a powerful tool for local governments to help ensure a healthy rental supply for people in their communities.
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Cracking down on tax evasion in B.C. real estate
Amendments to the Real Estate Development Marketing Act require real estate developers to collect and report information on pre-sale condo assignments to ensure people are paying the appropriate taxes when these contracts are assigned.
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Stronger protections for tenants facing evictions
The Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act improves security for owners of manufactured homes and people who live in rental housing.
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Ensuring fair access to public health care in B.C.
Clear rules around extra billing for medical services have been established with the full implementation of the Medicare Protection Amendment Act.
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Protecting workers. Supporting Families.
Workers in B.C. will soon have more flexible maternity and parental leaves, better supports for when their children die or go missing, and the ability to take more time off to support terminally ill family members thanks to amendments to the Employment Standards Act.
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Supporting the mental health needs of first responders
First responders, sheriffs and correctional officers put themselves on the line to protect the public and help people in need. We are changing the law to support them when they experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses as a result of facing trauma in the work they do.
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Protecting the people we love in care facilities
People need to know that their loved ones are safe when they leave them in the care of other people. Improvements to the Community Care and Assisted Living Act will give people more information about the health and safety record of community-care facilities, including child-care and residential-care facilities.
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Protecting and restoring B.C.’s water and land
The Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Statutes Amendment Act will improve the restoration of orphaned well sites in B.C. and limit the potential of orphan sites going forward.
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Getting children and families the support they need
Proposed amendments to the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP) will ensure families and children who are entitled to child support and spousal support receive payments.
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Enforcing penalties against those who wrong investors
Amendments to the Securities Act will give the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association (MFDA) the ability to enforce penalties as court orders against investment dealers who wrong investors.
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Respecting public servants’ workplace rights
Amendments to the Public Service Act will provide oversight to ensure the B.C. Public Service Agency’s practices for just-cause terminations are consistent with government policies and standards.
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Strengthening nursing oversight and patient safety
Amendments to the Health Professions Act set the stage for the provincial nursing colleges to amalgamate, providing greater consistency for the profession and one point of contact for patients and partners.
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Bringing more hearings and conferences to B.C.
By updating the International Commercial Arbitration Act (ICAA) to align with accepted international standards, B.C. will enhance its standing as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction to domestic and international parties.