It encourages professional practice in Alberta while increasing accountability
The Alberta government has introduced legislation to provide a consistent framework for professional regulatory organizations to carry out core functions such as governance, registration, and addressing professional conduct.
Bill 23, the Professional Governance Act, consolidates nine current acts governing different professional regulatory organizations and affects 22 non-health ones, including the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and Chartered Professional Accountants Alberta (CPA Alberta). It also aligns with certain Acts to recognize the credentials of regulated professionals outside Alberta and reduce their barriers to practice more efficiently, allowing them to work in the province on short-term projects or during emergencies.
“Our professional regulatory organizations do an excellent job, and the proposed act will make it easier for them to do their important work of safeguarding the public interest and public safety of Albertans. Streamlining Alberta’s professional laws reduces red tape and helps attract job-creating investment to support the province’s economic recovery,” said Minister of Labour and Immigration Kaycee Madu.
If passed, the Act will standardize these organizations’ core functions while allowing the development of profession-specific schedules. It will make the process for creating, merging, and deregistering professional regulatory organizations and appointing public members to them consistent across professions.
Bill 23 also aims to improve their service and accountability to the public. It will allow the appointment of a public administrator in exceptional circumstances when an organization is no longer fulfilling its obligations or acting in good faith, and there is a clear threat to the public interest or public safety.
“[We are] confident the new legislation will provide a robust and transparent regulatory framework for the affected professions – a framework that will make protection of the public the top priority,” said chief executive officer of CPA Alberta Rachel Miller. “CPA Alberta has valued the opportunities the ministry provided for us to contribute input and perspectives as the bill’s direction was being developed.”
If passed, the bill will take effect upon proclamation.
