Innovation Spring 2026

REGULATORY NEWS

Regulators urge pause to consult on Bill M216 A private member’s bill introduced in the BC legislature last fall proposes changes to the way local governments review development permits in BC.

The stated intent of Bill M216, the P rofessional Reliance Act , is to streamline development projects and reduce administrative costs in the approval of these projects by local governments. If enacted, Bill M216 would alter this process by requiring local governments to accept submissions certified by a registered professional instead of using the local government’s technical review processes. Engineers and Geoscientists BC and the five other regulators under the Professional Governance Act have had several meetings with Nanaimo-Lantzville MLA George Anderson, who introduced the bill. On January 6, the regulators jointly provided a submission to the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills. The joint submission notes: “We appreciate the intent of the Bill is to streamline approvals, but as currently drafted it does not adequately account for the spectrum of technical and discretionary aspects of development permits across BC, which require balancing technical requirements, design standards, and regulatory oversight.” The regulators recommended pausing the bill’s progress to allow for collaborative consultation with local governments, Indigenous peoples, the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance, and others. “A pause would give time to assess impacts, identify safeguards, and co-develop evidence-informed solutions that uphold the public interest.” The government committee met on February 2 and will report back to the House by April 2. If the Legislature passes the bill, it proceeds to Royal Assent and becomes law, unless specified to come into force later.

P hoto : S hutterstock

What is a private member's bill? Bill M216 is a private member's bill, which are usually introduced by an MLA. Like all bills, private member bills must pass several stages in the Legislature: • First reading (introduction) • Second reading (debate on the bill’s principles) • Committee stage (clause by clause review and possible amendments) • Report stage (where the committee reports the bill back to the House of Commons) • Third reading (final approval)

Professional Governance Act regulators The six regulatory bodies under the PGA are: • Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC (ASTTBC)

Scan to see the PGA regulators' submission.

• Architectural Institute of BC (AIBC) • BC Institute of Agrologists (BCIA) • College of Applied Biologists (CAB) • Forest Professionals BC (FPBC) • Engineers and Geoscientists BC

Scan to view Bill M216.

Innovation Spring 2026

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