The Government of Alberta is proposing two new bills that, if passed, will bring into force the public health enforcement activities and rental protections announced by Premier Jason Kenney on March 27. An additional bill is proposed to support economic activity in the energy sector considering job losses due to COVID-19 and the recent oil price wars.

Government House Leader Jason Nixon said, “We continue to prioritize the health, safety, security and economic interests of all Albertans during this unprecedented time. We know there is a tremendous amount of stress being felt in the province. To combat this, we are proposing two bills that include decisive actions to protect Albertans and ultimately help reduce the spread of this virus, and a third bill to support jobs in the energy sector.”

The two proposed bills meant to support and protect Albertans during COVID-19 include:

Bill 10, Public Health (Emergency Powers) Amendment Act, 2020. If passed, this bill will provide law enforcement agencies full authority to enforce public health orders during a pandemic. Bill 11, Tenancies Statutes (Emergency Provisions) Amendment Act, 2020. If passed, this bill will ensure no one will be retroactively charged for residential rent increases or late fees while the state of public health emergency is in effect.

In addition to debating these bills, the government is proposing Bill 12, Liabilities Management Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. If passed, this bill will enable the government to clarify and enable expanded, delegated authority for the Orphan Well Association to maintain and manage orphan sites.

Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon said, “Government has provided an additional $100 million to the Orphan Well Association. With this proposed legislation, we are aiming to help the association accelerate the cleanup of orphaned wells and associated infrastructure. Fast-tracking this work will boost employment in our oil services sector and protect jobs during these challenging economic times.”

Alberta has a comprehensive response to COVID-19 including measures to enhance social distancing, screening, and testing. Financial supports are helping Alberta families and businesses.