BILL NO. 6

(as introduced)

3rd Session, 62nd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
65 Elizabeth II, 2016

Private Member's Bill

Environmental Racism Prevention Act

Lenore Zann
Truro–Bible Hill–Millbrook–Salmon River

First Reading: October 14, 2016

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Environmental Racism Prevention Act.

2 In this Act,

(a) "Ministers" means the Minister of Environment and the Minister responsible for the Human Rights Act;

(b) "panel" means the panel established pursuant to this Act.

3 (1) The Ministers shall establish a panel, as set out in this Section, to examine the issue of environmental racism in the Province, and provide recommendations to address it.

(2) The panel is to be composed of

(a) three members chosen by the Minister of Environment from among the members of the Round Table established pursuant to the Environment Act;

(b) two members chosen by the Minister responsible for the Human Rights Act from among the members of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission; and

(c) three members chosen by the Minister responsible for the Human Rights Act, of whom there must be one member from each of

(i) the African Nova Scotian community,

(ii) the First Nations' community, and

(iii) the Acadian community.

(3) Her Majesty in right of the Province shall, subject to Section 6, pay the members of the panel such remuneration as is determined by the Ministers, together with the members' reasonable expenses.

4 Within one year of the coming into force of this Act, the panel shall, subject to Section 6, consult the public, on a Province-wide basis, about the issue of environmental racism, with special emphasis given to consultation with the African Nova Scotian, First Nations' and Acadian communities, and provide a report to the Ministers that sets out its findings and recommendations.

5 The Ministers shall, within 10 days of receiving the report referred to in Section 4, table the report in the Assembly if the Assembly is then sitting or, where it is not then sitting, file the report with the Clerk of the Assembly.

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