Legislative Update

Second Session, Forty-Second Legislature

Passed

Government Bills

• Bill 4: The Manitoba Hydro Amendment Act
• Bill 15: The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Amendment and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Amendment Act
• Bill 30: The Fisheries Amendment, Forest Amendment and Provincial Parks Amendment Act
• Bill 54: The Emergency Measures Amendment Act  (amendment(s) adopted at Committee Stage)

First Reading and Passed

• Bill 54: The Emergency Measures Amendment Act  ( amendment(s) adopted at Committee Stage) – Currently, only the minister or a local authority may make emergency orders to prevent or limit loss of life and damage to property and the environment. This Bill gives the Lieutenant Governor in Council the power to make three types of orders when a state of emergency is declared.
• Bill 55: The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act – This Bill amends The Employment Standards Code to add a temporary job-protected leave for employees who are unable to work due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The requirement for an employee to provide a certificate from a health professional in respect of a leave provided for in the Code is also temporarily suspended.
• Bill 56: The Family Maintenance Amendment Act – amends The Family Maintenance Act. It enables maintenance enforcement officials to make more frequent inquiries to determine if a maintenance obligation for an adult child remains eligible for enforcement. In addition, when a request is made for an administrative suspension of a maintenance order, each party is entitled to a copy of material submitted by the other party, with any sensitive information deleted.
• Bill 57: The Regulated Health Professions Amendment Act – amends The Regulated Health Professions Act to allow a regulated health profession college to re-register former members, without complying with the usual registration requirements, if the minister notifies the college that a threat to public health exists and their assistance is required.
• Bill 58: The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act – amends The Residential Tenancies Act.
  • Rent is frozen at the amount payable immediately before April 1, 2020.
  • Evictions are limited to specific circumstances that infringe, interfere with or adversely affect the security, safety, health or well-being of other tenants, such as engaging in unlawful activity. This amendment is effective as of March 24, 2020.
  • Late fees for failure to pay rent are prohibited.
• Bill 59: The Public Health Amendment Act – amends The Public Health Act. New prohibitions or requirements can be made in a public health emergency order to prevent the spread of a communicable disease. Measures to assist in the enforcement of public health emergency orders are added. The fines for failing to comply with public health emergency orders are increased. Additional persons may be authorized by regulation to enforce the Act and orders made under it. Orders made under the Act are not subject to The Statutes and Regulations Act. Orders directed to the public at large may be published on a government website.
• Bill 60: The Appropriation Act, 2020 (COVID-19 Response)
• Bill 61: The Loan Act, 2020
• Bill 62: The Fuel Tax Amendment and Retail Sales Tax Amendment Act – amends The Fuel Tax Act to suspend, for the duration of the 2020 public health emergency, the requirements that a carrier who is not licenced under the International Fuel Tax Agreement pay a tax and obtain a single-trip permit upon entering Manitoba.

Private Bills

Passed

• Bill 200: The Municipal Assessment Amendment Act

Check here for the current status of bills.

As part of its effort to provide accurate information about COVID-19, the Winnipeg Free Press has released a free article detailing these emergency bills. See here for more details.