Notice to Members ACAC response to Bill 30 and updates on government advocacy Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of Council, following are some recent government actions that are important for you to be informed of given actual or potential impacts to the profession.
1. Government mandating increased public participation in college governance and discipline: The Alberta government passed Bill 30: Health Statutes Amendment Act at the end of its recent sitting. Public member participation requirements have now increased from a minimum of 25 per cent to 50 per cent for Council, appeals heard by Council, hearing tribunals and complaints review committees.
This change in requirements is applicable to all regulated health professions and comes into force April 1, 2021. The Governance Committee, in consultation with legal counsel, is reviewing ACAC Bylaws to develop recommendations for Council to manage this transition to achieve compliance.
While the ACAC has always benefited from the active participation of public members in Council governance and discipline proceedings, these changes signal a significant shift from self-regulation to co-regulation. There is no precedent for this in Canada, so we will need to build our understanding of how these changes will impact the ACAC and the profession moving forward.
2. The Minister of Health is exploring options to improve regulatory effectiveness and efficiency: Alberta Health submitted a whitepaper document for consultation in late July. The whitepaper contains 17 proposals on various “legislative amendments to improve the regulatory effectiveness and efficiency of the HPA.” The ACAC’s response can be found here.
While several of these proposals are welcome procedural updates, other proposed changes would either radically change self-regulation or eliminate it altogether. We are actively reviewing proposals and providing informed feedback to government, utilizing the experience we have gained over decades of government-delegated responsibility for self-regulation.
These activities suggest that we should expect a significant amount of government activity and change as it relates to self-regulation. Council and staff will continue to actively advise government on proposed changes and monitor and inform members.
Warmest regards, Dr. Brad Kane President |