Manitoba.

• Author: Recksiedler, Greg
• Position: Legislative Reports

4th Session of the 42nd Legislature--Spring Sitting

The Fourth Session of the 42nd Legislature resumed on March 1, 2022. The Legislative Building had been closed to members of the public for two years owing to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions; however, the building gradually opened with increased security in April 2022. Visitors to the building are now required to provide photo ID. They are issued a visitor's pass and also must walk through a metal detector at the front entrance. The new security procedure has been operating since September 2021 and includes a procedure of escorting visitors to destination offices once they enter the building. Another permanent security measure is the monitoring of vehicles that enter onto the grounds.

The Government introduced a number of Bills this session addressing different areas of governance. A total of 25 of these Bills were introduced in time to meet the criteria for Specified Bill status and therefore guaranteed passage in June (subject to the right of the Opposition designating five of those Bills to be delayed until the Fall). The legislative agenda includes:

* Bill 8--The Court of Appeal Amendment and Provincial Court Amendment Act expressly authorizes judges to meet with the parties to an appeal and attempt to settle issues in dispute before the appeal is heard. Changes are also made to the organization of the judicial appointment committee and a new process for appointing Provincial Court judges is established;

* Bill 9--The Scrap Metal Act creates duties for a scrap metal dealer when they purchase or receive scrap metal, including obtaining proof of identification from the seller and retaining records about the transaction. Other requirements for scrap metal dealers include limiting cash purchases of scrap metal and providing regular reports to law enforcement agencies;

* Bill 18--The Legislative Security Amendment Act amends The Legislative Security Act, which deals with security in the Legislative Building and the surrounding grounds ("the legislative precinct"). The chief legislative security officer, a newly established position, is responsible for leading security operations in the legislative precinct. Legislative security officers are authorized to provide security services outside the legislative precinct to members of the Legislative Assembly and government officials. Specified activities in the legislative precinct may be prohibited by regulation. Persons who engage in prohibited activities may be fined and evicted from the legislative precinct;

* Bill 22--The Environment Amendment Act (Pesticide Restrictions) removes the prohibition on the application of certain pesticides to lawns and the sale of those pesticides...