Manitoba.

• Date: 22 September 2021
• Author: Recksiedler, Greg

3rd Session of the 42nd Legislature

The Third Session of the 42nd Legislature resumed on March 3, 2021, and adjourned for the Summer on June 1, 2021. It was an extremely busy session as 51 Government Bills were introduced in time to meet the criteria for Specified Bill status, which resulted in them receiving guaranteed passage before the House rose in June. Four other bills were passed in this period as well, two from the Government and two from the Official Opposition:

Bill 71--The Education Property Tax Reduction Act (Property Tax and Insulation Assistance Act and Income Tax Act Amended) is designed to reduce school taxes by means of a system of rebates. The Property Tax and Insulation Assistance Act was amended by adding Part IL 1 to provide for the following rebates in future years beginning in 2021 with:

* 25 per cent of school taxes on farm and residential properties;

* 10 per cent of school taxes on other properties.

Bill 73--The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act (COVID-19 Vaccination Leave) amended The Employment Standards Code to entitle an employee to up to three hours of paid leave for each time the employee is vaccinated against COVID-19. It also expands job protection for an employee who is temporarily unable to work due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic to include leave for employees who suffer side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Bill 213--The Reporting of Supports for Child Survivors of Sexual Assault Act (Trained Health Professionals and Evidence Collection Kits) requires the minister to report annually, by health authority, on the number of health professionals with special training to examine children who have been sexually assaulted and on sexual assault evidence kit inventory.

Bill 223--The Spirit Bear Day Act proclaims May 10 of each year as Spirit Bear Day as a teddy bear called Spirit Bear had become symbolic of Jordan's Principle. Jordan River Anderson's tragic death, after living in a hospital his entire life, led to the development of Jordan's Principle, a policy intended to prevent First Nations children from being denied prompt and equal access to government services because of jurisdictional disputes between different levels of government.

The House is set to resume on October 6, 2021. The upcoming sitting period also promises to be extremely busy, especially for Committees, as the Official Opposition designated five Bills to be delayed until the Fall. One Bill, in particular...