Premier Jason Kenney. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko/Lethbridge News Now

Bill 24

Province proposes new and extended COVID-19 measures, delaying financial statements

Jun 18, 2020 | 4:07 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta has introduced Bill 24, the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Statutes Amendment Act, into the legislature.

It proposes 15 acts across seven ministries, mainly centered around supporting the reopening of Alberta’s economy.

“Bill 24 allows us to continue to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect public health and ensure Albertans have access to the services and support they need as Alberta moves forward with reopening our economy,” says Health Minister Tyler Shandro.

The measures include:

• Extending to August 2021 unpaid job-protected leave for employees who need to take care of a child due to school or daycare closures or to care for an ill or self-isolating family member. This is specific to COVID-19
• Providing updated guidance for child care programs, including increasing the maximum group size to 10 to 30 staff and children
• Allowing for remote signing and witnessing of estate and care documents through two-way video conferencing
• Extending the maximum time for temporary layoffs related to COVID-19 from 120 days to 180 days
• Extending arrangements that allow a health care facility to limit employees to working at one site
• Extending the use of emergency powers for an additional 60 days now that the state of public health emergency has ended, and extending existing related ministerial orders
• Creating a new regulation-making authority to support orders of the Chief Medical Officer of Health as required
• Changing requirements for temporary pandemic-related health facilities including permitting exemptions for temporary facilities such as drive-thru COVID-19 testing
• Delaying the deadline for the release of the province’s annual report and financial statements to August 31
• Ensuring Albertans retain their rights to appeals claims related to private colleges in the courts or for the province to make claim related to student financial assistance
• Extending the grace period of expired board member appointments to the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board from three-to-five months after the term expires to allow for a safe recruitment process

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