BILL 49

An Act to Amend An Act Respecting Official Languages

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, enacts as follows:

1 Subsection 1(7) of An Act Respecting Official Languages, chapter 38 of the Acts of New Brunswick, 2013, is repealed and the following is substituted:

1( 7) The Act is amended by adding after section 41 the following:

Professional associations

41.1( 1) In this section, “professional association” means an organization of persons that, by an Act of the Legislature, has the power to admit persons to or suspend or expel persons from the practice of a profession or occupation or impose requirements on persons with respect to the practice of a profession or occupation.

41.1( 2) When a professional association exercises a power referred to in subsection (1), the professional association

(a)  shall provide services and communications related to the exercise of that power in both official languages, and

(b)  with respect to its power to impose requirements, shall ensure that a person is able to fulfil those requirements in the official language of his or her choice.

41.1( 3) No person shall be placed at a disadvantage by reason of exercising his or her right to choose an official language in which to fulfil requirements imposed by a professional association.

41.1( 4) A professional association shall offer its services and communications to members of the public in both official languages.

2 Paragraph 1(11)(b) of the Act is repealed.

3 Section 4 of the Act is amended

(a)  in subsection (1) by striking out “subsection (2)” and substituting “subsections (2) and (3)”;

(b)  by adding after subsection (2) the following:

4( 3) Subsection 1(7) comes into force on July 1, 2016.