On November 24, Bill 36 – 2022: Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) received Royal Assent, which means the bill has completed the legislative process and is now an Act. BC Health Minister Adrian Dix introduced the bill in the Legislative Assembly on October 19.
The new Act contains important changes to the way health profession regulatory colleges fulfill their mandate to serve and protect British Columbians. To read highlights of what is included in the new legislation, see the Ministry of Health’s news release, Patients the focus of new health legislation.
It is now up to Cabinet to determine when this new Act will take effect and replace its predecessor, the Health Professions Act (HPA).
For now, B.C. health regulatory colleges will continue to operate under the current HPA.
BCHR acknowledges the rights and title of the First Nations on whose collective unceded territories encompass the land base colonially known as British Columbia. We give thanks for the medicines of these territories and recognize that laws, governance, and health systems tied to these lands and waters have existed here for over 9,000 years. We also acknowledge the unique and distinct rights, including rights to health and wellness, of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples from elsewhere in Canada who now live in British Columbia. As leaders in the settler health system, we acknowledge our responsibilities to these rights under international, national, and provincial law.
We are committed to protecting your privacy. We seek to use best practices in holding any personal information we collect. We collect, use and disclose personal information in accordance with our province’s Health Professions Act (HPA), Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and other applicable legislation.