New Brunswick.

• Date: 22 September 2021
• Author: Jensen, Shannon

Virtual Sittings

During the Spring session, Members were able to participate virtually in House and Committee proceedings after Motion 60 was passed on May 11 following a free vote in the House. The motion proposed that the Legislative Assembly adopt a Special Order to allow Members to participate in proceedings, either in person or by virtual means using the Zoom platform, in emergency or extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the Speaker, following consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and with the agreement of all House Leaders. The Special Order expires when the COVID-19 state of emergency ends.

Legislation

A total of 33 bills were introduced during the Spring session. Certain bills of note that were debated during the session included:

* Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Municipal Elections Act, introduced by Keith Chiasson, allows permanent residents of Canada to vote in municipal elections. The Bill was referred to the Law Amendments Committee for consultation.

* Bill 35, An Act Respecting Empowering the School System, introduced by Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy, passed following several days of debate and makes numerous amendments to the Education Act and regulations. Notably, the Bill authorizes teachers who hold approved master's degrees and complete approved training to perform prescribed psychoeducational testing for the purpose of developing personalized learning plans for students.

* Bill 48, An Act to Amend the New...