Bill M216 Sponsor Asks to End Consideration of Bill

The Professional Reliance Act’s sponsor, MLA George Anderson, announced he has asked the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills to end its consideration of the bill.

In an April 9 letter to the committee, Anderson indicated the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing “committed to undertake further work on the core policy principles advanced in my bill,” and “committed to working with stakeholders to explore ways to build on the principles of safety, speed and professional responsibility” while balancing the needs of those impacted, including local governments and professionals.

He continued, “I respectfully ask that the committee conclude its consideration of Bill M216 and forward all correspondence and relevant materials to the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs.”

Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, issued a statement following Anderson’s request to not continue consideration of Bill M216, where she announced that “In recognition of the local governments, organizations and individuals that took countless hours to provide written submissions to the committee, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs will be engaging with stakeholders to see how we can continue to reduce permitting timelines for new housing projects. 

“This work will explore how to build on the principles of safety, speed and professional responsibility while balancing the needs of local governments and regulated professionals. We anticipate this work to begin later this year,” she added.

Engineers and Geoscientists BC CEO Heidi Yang, P.Eng., reacted to the sponsor’s announcement by saying “We appreciate the bill sponsor’s decision to ask the committee to conclude consideration of the Professional Reliance Act, and we are pleased that the feedback shared by professional regulators and industry was heard. We value this thoughtful approach and the opportunity it creates for further dialogue and collaboration.

“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs and all interested parties to improve housing permitting processes while maintaining safety standards and regulatory clarity.”

Yang had recently appeared before the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills to share comments and answer questions on Bill M216. Joining Yang on April 1 were leaders of the other five Professional Governance Act regulators, including Mark Vernon, CEO of the Architectural Institute of BC. 

Yang and Vernon spoke on behalf of PGA regulators in addressing overarching concerns related to Bill M216, including permit clarity, evaluation processes, liability transfer, dispute resolution, and the need for clear roles and safeguards. Ultimately, the PGA regulators deemed the bill unworkable in its current form.

“As an engineer, I’m a systems thinker, so I would want to be looking at the development permit process from start to finish and really evaluate the root causes behind where the delay is, why the delays are happening, what is causing that, and how can we help support it,” Yang told the committee. “Once we understand why it’s happening and where it’s happening, then we can really work together and build solutions.”

Despite Anderson’s request, the bill is not officially removed from consideration until the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills formally recommends to the legislature that the bill will not advance past the committee stage.

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