Government introduced the miscellaneous statutes amendment act (No. 2), 2025, to the legislative assembly on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.

If passed by the legislature, the amendments will affect the following provincial statutes:

Community Charter, Vancouver Charter:

Changes to the Community Charter and Vancouver Charter will make it easier for local governments and First Nations to work together by better protecting confidential and culturally sensitive information, and by giving them the space they need to collaborate and build trust during negotiations.

Currently, local governments can close meetings only for a limited set of reasons that does not include First Nation relations. The proposed changes would allow or require local governments to hold closed meetings when discussing culturally sensitive and confidential information shared by First Nations or during negotiations with First Nations or other local governments. There will be no changes to the requirements for local governments to make final decisions and pass bylaws in open meetings.

The proposed amendments respond to requests from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, local governments and First Nations, and will improve government-to-government relationships and advance reconciliation. The new rules for closed meetings will apply in specific situations to balance the need for transparency with the need to help governments work together more respectfully and effectively. The Province will provide additional guidance to help local governments make informed choices under new rules.

School Act:

The School Act is legislation that governs B.C.’s education system. Proposed amendments will formalize existing practices by requiring ministerial approval before the use of expropriation powers by any of B.C.’s 60 school boards. Expropriation is considered a tool of last resort. It has been used only a handful of times in recent years when required for educational purposes. The proposed amendments would also allow the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) to acquire private property through expropriation, and bring the CSF into alignment with the same power that the Province’s other 59 school boards have.

Learn More:

For more information about B.C. legislation, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/Legislation