BILL NO. 106

(as introduced)

1st Session, 60th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
55 Elizabeth II, 2006

Private Member's Bill

Fairness in Fees Act

Diana Whalen
Halifax Clayton Park

First Reading: November 10, 2006

Second Reading: April 10, 2007

Third Reading: April 12, 2007 (WITH COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS) (LINK TO BILL AS PASSED)

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Fairness in Fees Act.

2 In this Act, "minister" means a member of the Executive Council and includes any official authorized to act on the member's behalf or in the member's stead.

3 This Act binds Her Majesty in right of the Province.

4 Neither the Governor in Council, nor any minister nor any other official designated under any enactment as having the authority to increase a fee charged by any department or agency of the Government of the Province for any service, document, license or privilege may increase the fee unless the minister responsible for the department or agency has

(a) presented notice of the increase in the fee to the House of Assembly in the budgetary Estimates for that department or agency; and

(b) provided details of the fees to be collected as part of the Estimates process, including

(i) the purpose and amount of the fee to be charged,

(ii) the total revenue expected from each fee, and

(iii) whether the fee is designed to recover the full costs of providing a service, to recover the partial costs of the service or to generate revenue in excess of the cost of providing the service.