Bills Introduced by Claudia Chender to Date

18 March 2024

Bill No. 434 - An Act to Amend Chapter 3 of the Acts of 2019, the Coastal Protection Act.

28 February 2024

Bill No. 414 - An Act to Amend Chapter 293 of the Revised Statues, 1989, the Motor Vehicle Act, Respecting Fees.

27 February 2024

Bill No. 410 - An Act Respecting the Heating Assistance Rebate Program.

Bill No. 411 - An Act to Amend Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2000, the Employment Support and Income Assistance Act, Respecting Equal Support for the Unhoused.

31 October 2023

Bill No. 388 - An Act to Amend Chapter 31 of the Acts of 1996, the Sales Tax Act, Respecting Lower Grocery Bills.

This Bill provides a point-of-sale rebate on the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax for food and beverage products that are purchased at grocery and convenience stores in Nova Scotia and that are not already exempt from tax under the federal Excise Tax Act.

17 October 2023

Bill No. 342 - An Act to Establish a Universal School Food Program

Bill No. 346 - Affordable Non-profit Housing Act - An Act to Amend Chapter 380 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Public Utilities Act, to Reduce or Waive Water Rates for Non-profit Affordable Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

This Bill authorizes the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to reduce or waive tolls, rates and charges levied by the Halifax Regional Water Commission with respect to non-profit affordable housing developments.

12 october 2023

Bill No. 325 - An Act Respecting Enforcement of the Residential Tenancies Act

Bill No. 330 - The Bloomfield Act - An Act to Amend Chapter 18 of the Acts of 1998, the Municipal Government Act, and Chapter 39 of the Acts of 2008, the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, to Empower Municipalities to Tax Vacant Properties. (Claudia Chender)

This Act allows municipal councils to make by-laws imposing a vacant residential unit or land tax for the purpose of encouraging the timely development of housing within serviced municipal boundaries and increasing funding for affordable housing, and creates requirements for the by-laws and the implementation of the tax.

22 March 2023

Bill No. 265 - An Act to Establish a Commission of Inquiry into Emergency Room Deaths

20 October 2022

Bill No. 213 - An Act to Amend Chapter 380 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, The Public Utilities Act, Respecting Storm Hardiness for Electricity Utilities

Requires a public utility that provides electricity to prepare and file a 10-year storm-hardening plan, and file an update to the plan every 3 years. Gives the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board authority to ensure the plan includes sufficient investments to protect ratepayers from the costs of more frequent extreme weather.

19 October 2022

Bill No. 209 - Entitled an Act to Improve Access to Pharmaceuticals

This Act ensures that no premiums may be charged to persons enrolled in the Seniors' Pharmacare Program, and no deductible may be charged to persons enrolled in the Family Pharmacare Program.

21 April 2022

Bill No. 177 - Seasonal Tourist Businesses Pilot Project Act

13 April 2022

Bill No. 157 - Municipal Elections Act, Respecting Permanent Residents

This Bill allows permanent residents to vote in municipal elections.

Bill No. 159 - Municipal Elections Act, Respecting Persons Serving a Sentence

(a) permits persons serving a sentence in a penal or reform institution to be registered on the list of electors and vote in a municipal election; and

(b) requires a polling station within every correctional facility.

7 April 2022

Bill No. 144 - Non-disclosure Agreements Act

6 April 2022

Bill No. 139 - An Act to Enhance Privacy and Access to Information

1 April 2022

Bill No. 128 - Energy Efficiency Act

2 (1) The Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables shall take immediate action to support, strengthen and set targets for energy efficiency programming while prioritizing equitable access and benefits for low income and marginalized Nova Scotians.

(2) This action must include, but is not be limited to,

(a) development of a legislated energy efficiency resource standard covering all energy sources, with savings attributable to Efficiency Nova Scotia activities;

(b) minimum electricity demand-side management annual savings equal to one and one half per cent of annual sales in the year 2023, growing to at least three per cent each year by 2030;

(c) a plan to eliminate oil heating in the Province by 2050 at the latest, with interim targets for fossil fuel savings and number of buildings undergoing deep retrofits; and

(d) establishment of a minimum budget for low-income energy efficiency programs in all plans to meet energy efficiency resource standard requirements.

(3) The minimum target in clause (2)(b) may be increased by the Minister or the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board if cost-effective or deemed by the Minister or the Board to be complementary to achieve renewable energy targets and net-zero emissions.


31 March 2022

Bill No. 117 - Nova Scotia Power Ownership Act

The Governor in Council, after consultation with each leader of a recognized party, the Chair of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, and Emera, shall appoint by June 30, 2022, a Task Force, composed of up to six members, to study bringing Nova Scotia Power back into public ownership. The full Act can be read here.

30 March 2022

Bill No. 111 - Performance-based Regulation of Electrical Utilities Act

  • strike a commission to create a performance-based regulation framework for Nova Scotia Power Incorporated within one year of the coming into force of this Act.

    • The performance-based regulation framework must require the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to

      • remove disincentives from existing regulatory systems that discourage customer renewable energy generation and energy efficiency; and

      • determine Nova Scotia Power Incorporated's annual rate of return according to a set of performance-based incentive mechanisms related to, but not limited to, outcomes respecting

        • (i) decarbonization,

        • (ii) reliability,

        • (iii) customer satisfaction,

        • (iv) citizen and community participation in the production of renewable power generation,

        • (v) energy efficiency,

        • (vi) a just transition to support workers and their communities in the transition to a low-carbon economy,

        • (vii) reduction in energy poverty, and

        • (viii) lowering customers' power bills.

  • The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.

24 March 2022

No. 98 - Equity and Sustainability in Electrical Utilities Act

  • Nova Scotia Power Incorporated may take steps to maximize the use of renewable resources.

  • the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board must be cognizant of and apply the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act in exercising its powers.

  • the Board to create an affordability service program for low-income customers.

  • the appointment of a sustainability advocate.

  • builds on the current requirement in the Act that the consumer and small business advocates be different people by providing that different people must be appointed to each of the consumer, small business and sustainability advocate positions.

3 November 2021

No. 80 - Free Birth Control Act - An Act to Amend Chapter 197 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Health Services Insurance Act, Respecting Free Birth Control.

No. 81 - Free Menstrual Products, An Act Respecting

16 April 2021

Bill No. 129 - COVID-19 Child Care Costs Act - An Act to Assist Families With Child Care Costs Related to COVID-19

Bill No. 131 - Energy Efficiency, An Act Respecting

8 April 2021

No. 100 - Education Act (amended) and Education (CSAP) Act (amended), Respecting School Capital Construction.

1 April 2021

No. 82 - House of Assembly Act (amended) - to Support Public Participation in the Law Amendments Committee

No. 83 - House of Assembly Act (amended) - Respecting Sittings of the House of Assembly

No. 84 - Municipal Elections Act (amended) - Respecting Persons Serving a Sentence

30 March 2021

Bill No. 70 - An Act Respecting Free Menstrual Products

24 March 2021

Bill No. 54 - Statistics Act (amended), An Act to Amend Chapter 441 of the Revised Statutes 1989. The Statistics Act

Bill No. 55 - Real Property Act to Eliminate Covenants that Restrict Access to Food or Medicine

23 March 2020

Bill No. 36 - Seasonal Tourist Businesses Pilot Project Act, An Act Respecting a Pilot Project for Seasonal Tourist Businesses

9 March 2020

242 - Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Act

4 March 2020

248 - House of Assembly Act (amended) to Provide for Scheduled Sittings of the House of Assembly

21 October 2019

211 - Education Act (amended) and Education (CSAP) Act (amended) Respecting School Capital Construction

14 October 2019

200 - Education Act (amended), An Act to Amend Schedule A of Chapter 1 of the Acts of 2018, the Education Act

30 September 2019

165 - Emergency Management Act (amended), Respecting Emergency Management and Telecommunications

25 September 2019

158 - Police Act (amended) - creates a one-year limitation period for bringing a complaint against a police department or a member of a municipal police department, thereby extending the six-month limitation period provided for under the Police Regulations.

154 - An Act Respecting Free Menstrual Products

10 April 2019

146 - House of Assembly Act (amended) to Support Public Participation in the Law Amendments Committee

3 April 2019

138 - Human Rights Act (amended) to Prohibit Discrimination on Account of Social Disadvantage

25 March 2019

123 Sales Tax Act (amended) - provides a rebate of the Provincially designated portion of the Goods and Services Tax in respect of funerals.

26 September 2018

70 - Gender-Neutral Identification, An Act Respecting - require that health cards not indicate the sex, gender identity or gender expression of their holder. Provides an option for an "X" on driver's licenses in place of the indicator of sex.

24 September 2018

60 - Real Property Act (amended) to Eliminate Covenants that Restrict Access to Food or Medicine

13 September 2018

35 - Statistics Act (amended) - (a) requires every department of the Government of Nova Scotia to designate a person to collect, compile and publish statistical information with respect to its clients, users and persons in its care; (b) specifies the type of information to be gathered, the basis on which information is provided and the use that may be made of it; and (c) requires the department to report on the use of the information collected in its annual report.

36 - Police Street Checks Act

10 September 2018

No 18 - Education Act (amended) - requires the Provincial Advisory Council on Education to hold at least two open meetings every year to receive submissions from the public. It also requires the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development to maintain a record of the meetings held by the Council on the website of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

11 April 2018

121 - Education Act (amended) - requires the Provincial Advisory Council on Education to hold at least two open meetings every year to receive submissions from the public. It also requires the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development to maintain a record of the meetings held by the Council on the website of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

5 April 2018

117 - Education Act (amended)

119 - Police Street Checks Act

22 March 2018

96 - Human Rights Act (amended) - adds a substantive right to the Human Rights Act respecting an adequate standard of living.

20 March 2018

93 - Statistics Act (amended)

19 March 2018

89 - Gender-neutral Identification, An Act Respecting

26 February 2018

68 - Municipal Government Act (amended) and Halifax Regional Municipality Charter (amended) - amends the Municipal Government Act and the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter to establish a process for pregnant councillors or councillors who take parental leave to miss council and committee meetings for up to 52 consecutive weeks without permission or penalty.

23 October 2017

60 - Municipal Government Act (amended) and Halifax Regional Municipality Charter (amended) - amends the Municipal Government Act and the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter to establish a process for pregnant councillors to miss council and committee meetings for up to 52 weeks without permission or penalty.

17 October 2017

55 - Real Estate Appraisers Act (amended) and Election by Widow Regulations (amended)