Legislative Update – April 25, 2024

by George Roy | Apr 25, 2024 | Bill Status, Legislation, New Bills

News

• Manitoba Government Introduces Legislation to Support Transgender, Two-Spirit, Non-binary and Gender-Diverse Manitobans, April 9, 2024 – “The Manitoba government is introducing legislation that would exempt the publication of two-spirit, transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse individuals’ legal name change in the Manitoba Gazette…”
• Manitoba Government Introduces Legislation to Lower Emissions with Carbon Capture and Storage, April 4, 2024 – “The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating a framework for industries to begin work on underground carbon capture and storage projects…”

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

First Session, Forty-Third Legislature

Government Bills

Introduced

• Bill 29 The Body Armour and Fortified Vehicle Control Amendment Act – prohibits hidden compartments being added to a vehicle after it has been manufactured. After-market compartments available for sale to the general public are still permitted.
  • A vehicle with a prohibited after-market hidden compartment can be seized. The vehicle is forfeited if the owner or a person with a prior registered interest in the vehicle does not pay the costs to seize the vehicle and remove the compartment before a specified deadline.
  • Vehicles and body armour forfeited under the Act are no longer required to be destroyed.
• Bill 30 The Unexplained Wealth Act (Criminal Property Forfeiture Act and Corporations Act Amended) – The court may make an order that requires a person to provide information about how they acquired property or an interest in property if it appears that their known sources of income and assets would not be sufficient to do so and if the person or a closely-related person have been involved in unlawful activity.
  • The court is to presume, unless the contrary is proven, that
    • cash is proceeds of unlawful activity if it is mailed or shipped with no information or false information about the sender; and
    • a building is an instrument of unlawful activity if a controlled substance is found in the building in a quantity or in circumstances consistent with the trafficking of the substance.
  • Several minor or administrative changes are made to the Act.
    • Crypto assets such as cryptocurrency are added to the definition of “property”.
    • The maximum value of property that can be the subject of administrative forfeiture proceedings is increased from $75,000 to $125,000.
    • The maximum length of interim orders under the Act is extended from 30 days to 60 days.
    • Notice of administrative forfeiture proceedings must be published on a government website instead of in a newspaper.
• Bill 31 The Captured Carbon Storage Act – Establishes a regulatory scheme to enable the safe storage of captured carbon dioxide in geological formations in Manitoba.
  • Part 2 clarifies that the pore space under the surface of the land, including pore space in which captured carbon may be stored, belongs to the province.
  • Part 3 sets out a licensing scheme for subsurface carbon storage projects.
  • Part 4 governs surface and subsurface rights in relation to storage areas. A carbon storage licence and a well licence are conditional on the applicant having the necessary surface and subsurface rights.
  • Under Part 5, a director is appointed to administer and enforce the Act. Compliance and enforcement measures include the ability to carry out inspections, issue orders, impose administrative penalties and prosecute contraventions.
  • Under Part 6, appeals from decisions about reservations, licences, permits, orders and administrative penalties may be made to an appeal board.
• Bill 33 The Change of Name Amendment Act (3) -Under The Change of Name Act, the Director of Vital Statistics must notify the public when a person changes their name, subject to limited exceptions. The Act is amended to remove that requirement if the reason for the change relates to the individual being transgender, non-binary, gender-diverse or two-spirit Indigenous.
• Bill 36 The Regulated Health Professions Amendment Act – Currently under The Regulated Health Professions Act, the council of a college may direct its registrar to cancel a member’s registration or certificate of practice if the member has been convicted of an offence that is relevant to the member’s suitability to practise. The Act is amended to require the council to consider the cancellation at a meeting that is open to the public, with limited exceptions.

Private Members’ – Public Bills

Introduced

• Bill 211 The Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act (Manitoba Parks Licence Plates) – Amended to permit an organization to apply to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to make a licence plate available that includes the words “Manitoba Parks”, along with an associated graphic.

In Committee

• Bill 200 The Firefighters Recognition Day Act (Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended)

Private Members’ – Private Bills

Introduced

• Bill 300 The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act – Amended in two ways: (1) The mayor of the City of Winnipeg is no longer required to be a member of the board of directors of the Foundation and (2) Audit information about the Foundation’s financial statements must be published on its website.

For the status of all current bills click here.

Regulations