Legislative reports: Assemblee Nationale.

QUEBEC

On 14 June last, the National Assembly adjourned its proceedings for the summer after having passed 37 public bills and 10 private bills. The following are among the more noteworthy bills adopted during the spring session:

* the Act instituting civil unions and establishing new rules of filiation, which creates an institution, the civil union, for couples of the opposite or the same sex who wish to make a public commitment to live together as a couple and to uphold the rights and obligations stemming from such status.

* the Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Act, whose purpose is to foster transparency in the lobbying of public office holders and to ensure that lobbying activities are properly conducted. A Lobbyists Commissioner will be appointed by the National Assembly to monitor and control the activities of lobbyists.

* the Act to amend the Act respecting the Ministere des Relations internationales and other legislative provisions, which establishes a mechanism enabling the National Assembly to approve any important international commitment the Government intends to make either in respect of a Quebec international agreement or an international accord pertaining to a matter within the constitutional jurisdiction of Quebec.

* the Act to amend the Charter of the French language, which establishes the Office quebecois de la langue francaise, whose mission is to define and conduct Quebec policy in the areas of linguistic officialization, terminology and the francization of the civil administration and enterprises.

* the Act to ensure the implementation of the Agreement Concerning a new Relationship Between le Gouvernement du Quebec and the Crees of Quebec, which ensures the implementation of the Agreement Concerning a New Relationship Between le Gouvernement du Quebec and the Crees of Quebec, signed on 7 February 2002. The bill provides for the creation of the Cree Development Corporation, establishes the Cree-Quebec Forestry Board and provides for the formation of joint working groups for each Cree community affected by forest management activities in the Territory;

* the Act to amend the Act respecting prescription drug insurance and other legislative provisions, which introduces amendments to the funding of the basic prescription drug insurance plan. Furthermore, the bill establishes the Conseil du medicament, whose main functions will be to assist the Minister in updating the list of medications and to promote optimal use of medications.

* the Act to amend the Professional Code and other legislative provisions as regards the health sector, which establishes a new division in the fields of professional practice and activities reserved to persons working in the health sector;

* the Act to amend the Act respecting childcare centres and childcare services and the Act respecting the Ministere de la Famille et de l'Enfance, which mainly provides that the Minister may not issue a permit if there exists any impediment to its issue, that is, if the applicant or, in the case of a legal person, one of its directors has exhibited behaviour that poses a threat to the security of children or is...