2024 Legislation

Amendments to the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act (MEVA) will help the City of Vancouver to regulate Single Occupancy Room (SRO) vacancy control. This will protect rent affordability for tenants in SROs. The amendments, if passed, will enact bylaws that limit rent increases between tenancies at SROs, as set out in Vancouver’s bylaws.

The Public Health Accountability and Costs Recovery Act provides the tools necessary for the government to recover costs associated with the promotion, marketing and distribution of harmful products to people in B.C.

Bill 12 is on hold while the B.C. works with Meta, TikTok, Snap and X through the BC Online Safety Action Table. The work will help ensure people in B.C. have safe, empowering experiences online. Through this work, kids will be better protected from online harms before they happen.

The Haida Nation Recognition Amendment Act, 2024, recognizes Haida’s Aboriginal title throughout Haida Gwaii, and is the first legislation to recognize Aboriginal title in Canadian history. The legislation also supports the agreement’s implementation approach, which provides for a staged transition to Haida jurisdiction, while also protecting and maintaining private property rights and existing government services and infrastructure on Haida Gwaii.

The Anti-Racism Act requires the Province to identify and remove barriers affecting Indigenous and racialized people, making it more equitable for them when they seek out government programs and services in hospitals, schools, courts and other public institutions.

As B.C.’s economy grows and people and businesses make the switch to clean energy, legislative amendments will help ensure that we have the reliable, affordable electricity we need to power our future.

New legislation will help keep kids safe and focused on their education by preventing disruptive behaviour on school grounds, protecting the physical and mental safety of students and staff.

The Legal Professions Act brings lawyers, notaries and other legal professionals under a single regulatory body. It improves access to justice by creating more opportunities when someone needs legal services. Certain legal matters that could previously only be handled by a lawyer will have more cost-effective options.

The First Nations Mandated Post-Secondary Institutes Act will support First Nations post-secondary institutes important work with a funding commitment for eligible institutes providing post-secondary education to First Nations leaners throughout the province.

Proposed legislative amendments will help improve planning and public hearing processes to support the timely delivery of housing for people in Vancouver.

This legislation further enables Indigenous self-government in child and family services, building on the historic 2022 Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services Amendment Act. It expands the scope of section 6 agreements (joint and consent-based decision-making agreements) to more closely align with the intent of the Declaration Act. It also enables the use of provincial appellate courts for dispute resolution under Indigenous law.

The Province is ensuring that B.C.’s policing system is fair, equitable and responsive to all communities through new changes introduced to the Police Act aimed at improving governance and oversight of municipal police agencies. These changes are part of the Province’s work to make systemic improvements to the policing and public safety landscape in B.C.

B.C. is taking action to target housing speculation to make sure more people can find an affordable home in the communities where they live and work. All revenue from the tax will go directly into strengthening housing programs and building new homes in B.C.

The tax includes exemptions for individuals undergoing unavoidable life changes and builders contributing to the housing supply.

This legislation addresses the housing crisis by expediting development approvals and granting local governments enhanced zoning authority. Inclusionary zoning mandates affordable housing in new developments. Site-level works and transportation improvements with developments will make complete communities. Tenant Protection Bylaws offer crucial support to tenants facing displacement from redevelopment.

The new Bill will specify that First Nations that are recognized as legal entities under federal law (e.g., Indian Act bands) will have the legal capacity and ability to register and hold fee simple land in the B.C. land title office.

This administrative change will reduce barriers and align with the administrative steps that First Nations must take with that of corporations and Modern Treaty Nations.

Proposed changes to the Name Act would prevent offenders convicted of serious Criminal Code offences from legally changing their names.

B.C. is proposing changes to the Residential Act and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act to eliminate rent increases when people have children, better protect people from bad-faith evictions, and resolve rental disputes, faster. These measures include new requirements before ending tenancies for landlord use of a rental unit, new notice and dispute periods to give renters more time to gather information, support for landlords dealing with problematic tenants, and more.

Bill 11 will recognize First Nations as a level of government that qualify for exemptions from the City of Vancouver’s Development Cost Levy and Amenity Cost Charge for social housing projects built on First Nations-owned land in Vancouver.

This amendment is intended to reduce costs for First Nations and create opportunities for development, including new social housing.

Drivers of commercial trucks involved in infrastructure crashes will face higher penalties, with the government taking stronger action to make highway travel safer for everyone.

The Miscellaneous Bill contains amendments to the Offence Act, Lobbyist Transparency Act, Protected Areas of British Columbia Act, Financial Institutions Act, Sechelt Indian Government District Enabling Act, Chartered Professional Accountants Act, Motor Vehicle Act and Labour Relations Code.

Through the Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust (Winding Up) Act, B.C. will enable the transfer of approximately $60 million from a legacy trust to the Gwaii Trust Society. The Gwaii Trust Society’s board of directors is comprised of residents of Haida Gwaii nominated by the community, and the society plans to use the new fund to support environmental restoration, renewable energy, and economic diversification projects.

The Poverty Reduction Bill sets ambitious new 10-year targets to reduce poverty. Changes to legislation will also reduce barriers for people receiving income assistance or disability assistance, improving their access to the supports they need to come out of poverty.

New procedural safeguards in the Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA) will enhance personal privacy protections while supporting child protection needs through amended legislation that also removes barriers to Indigenous jurisdiction.

The proposed amendments will streamline and modernize several processes, such as reporting for the Municipal Finance Authority, as well as dog licensing and landscaping in the City of Vancouver. This will make some services more user friendly for people in Vancouver and throughout B.C.

Amendments will ensure minimum wages will automatically increase each year, based on inflation; providing predictability for businesses, and ensuring B.C.’s lowest paid workers do not fall behind.