A A A

4th Session, 40th Legislature

This HTML version is provided for ease of use and is based on the bilingual version that was distributed in the Legislature after First Reading.

Bill 208

THE REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ACT


Table of Contents Bilingual version (PDF) Explanatory Note

(Assented to                                         )

WHEREAS unnecessary red tape and regulations create additional costs for businesses, non-profit organizations and private citizens in their dealings with government;

AND WHEREAS the reduction of non-essential or redundant regulations and forms prescribed by regulation will streamline existing processes and enhance the government's effectiveness;

AND WHEREAS publicizing the regulatory process will promote government accountability and transparency;

THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1

The following definitions apply in this Act.

"department" and "minister" have the same meaning as in The Executive Government Organization Act. (« ministère » et « ministre »)

"sunset clause" means a provision in a regulation that provides that the regulation is repealed on a specified date. (« disposition de temporarisation »)

Regulatory review

2

Within three months after this Act comes into force, the Minister of Justice must

(a) establish a baseline measurement of the current number of regulations against which progress toward regulatory reform can be measured;

(b) develop a policy that requires that all proposals for new regulations include the following:

(i) an assessment of the need for the proposed regulation, with a view to avoiding duplication,

(ii) an analysis of alternatives,

(iii) a study of the economic impact of the proposed regulation, including an analysis of its effect on provincial competitiveness and how compliance costs can be minimized,

(iv) confirmation that public consultation has occurred,

(v) an estimate of the time and cost required for implementation,

(vi) ongoing review for relevancy of the proposed regulation through the inclusion of a sunset clause; and

(c) publicize the baseline measurement and policy created under clauses (a) and (b).

Departmental regulatory reform plans

3(1)

Within one year after this Act comes into force, each minister must develop and publicize a three-year regulatory reform plan for his or her department that

(a) establishes regulatory reform targets to ensure that only essential regulations are enacted and to work toward reducing the volume of new regulations; and

(b) provides for a comprehensive review of existing regulations to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations.

Departmental regulatory reform progress reports

3(2)

Each minister must include annual progress reports on regulatory reform in the department's annual report.

Publicizing documents

4

When this Act requires a minister to publicize a document, the minister must

(a) table a copy of the document in the Assembly by the date on which this Act requires it to be publicized; or

(b) if the Assembly is not sitting on the date by which this Act requires the document to be publicized,

(i) make the document available to the general public in a reasonable manner by the required date, and

(ii) table a copy of the document in the Assembly within 15 days after the next sitting begins.

C.C.S.M. reference

5

This Act may be referred to as chapter R117.5 of the Continuing Consolidation of the Statutes of Manitoba.

Coming into force

6

This Act comes into force on the day it receives royal assent.

Explanatory Note

This Bill requires the government to develop formal procedures to make the process for enacting regulations more transparent. It also requires government departments to develop regulatory reform plans to eliminate unnecessary regulations and encourage restraint in making new regulations.  Both the government procedures and department plans must be made public.