BILL NO. 36
(as introduced)
3rd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
70 Elizabeth II, 2021
Private Member's Bill
Seasonal Tourist Businesses Pilot Project Act
Claudia Chender
Dartmouth South
First Reading: March 23, 2021
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting
a Pilot Project for Seasonal Tourist Businesses
1 This Act may be cited as the Seasonal Tourist Businesses Pilot Project Act.
2 In this Act,(a) "Minister" means the Minister of Municipal Affairs;
(b) "pilot project" means a small-scale test to determine whether a seasonal tourist business and the community in which it is located benefit from the business being open during all or some of the period it would normally be closed;
(c) "seasonal tourist business" has the same meaning as in the Assessment Act.3 (1) A municipality may, with the consent of the Minister, call for proposals for a pilot project in some or all of the municipality to allow seasonal tourist businesses to extend their season of operations, or convert from seasonal to year-round.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection 11(6) of the Assessment Act, a seasonal tourist business that participates in a pilot project under subsection (1) is not liable to pay any increase in property taxes as a result of its extended operations.
4 For greater certainty, where there is a conflict between this Act or the regulations and any enactment respecting the assessment or tax rate of seasonal tourist businesses, this Act and the regulations prevail.
5 A pilot project may not exceed two taxation years.
6 The Minister may allow no more than four pilot projects in the Province at one time.
7 Subject to Section 10, the Minister may make a transfer to a municipality with an approved pilot project to cover all or some portion of the foregone tax revenue caused by the pilot project.
8 The Minister shall report publicly on the results of all pilot projects.
9 (1) The Minister may make regulations(a) respecting information a municipality with an approved pilot project must provide to the Minister;
(b) setting a time limit for a pilot project;
(c) requiring geographic limits for a pilot project within a municipality;
(d) determining how a municipality sets geographic limits for a pilot project;
(e) limiting the number and types of businesses within a municipality that may participate in a pilot project.
(2) The exercise by the Minister of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
10 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2021 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created March 23, 2021. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
