BILL NO. 254

(as introduced)

2nd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
69 Elizabeth II, 2020

 

Private Member's Bill

 

Shelter Standards Advisory Committee Act

 

Susan Leblanc
Dartmouth South

First Reading: March 10, 2020

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

 

An Act to Establish
a Shelter Standards Advisory Committee

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Shelter Standards Advisory Committee Act.

2 In this Act,

(a) "Advisory Committee" means the Shelter Standards Advisory Committee established by this Act;

(b) "Ministers" means the Minister of Community Services, the Minister of Health and Wellness and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing;

(c) "shelter" means a building or a portion of a building that is used to provide temporary accommodation free of charge to a person to meet the person's immediate basic needs for shelter.

3 (1) The Ministers shall establish a Shelter Standards Advisory Committee to recommend comprehensive standards for shelters with the objective of achieving best practices.

(2) The Advisory Committee consists of

(a) one representative from the senior management of each of

(i) the Department of Community Services,

(ii) the Department of Health and Wellness, and

(iii) the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing;

(b) one representative of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities; and

(c) two representatives from different shelters operating in each of

(i) Cape Breton Island,

(ii) northern mainland Nova Scotia,

(iii) the Halifax Regional Municipality,

(iv) the Annapolis Valley, and

(v) the South Shore.

4 (1) Subject to Section 6, the Departments referred to in subsection 3(2) shall support the work of the Advisory Committee by providing research services, advice and administrative services where required.

(2) Subject to Section 6, the Province shall reimburse the members of the Advisory Committee for the reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this Act, including travel expenses and, if the member is the representative of a shelter, reimbursement for staff time.

5 (1) The Advisory Committee shall prepare and submit to the Ministers by April 1, 2022, a report containing its findings and opinions respecting standards and best practices for the operation of shelters in the Province.

(2) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the report must include recommendations for standards and best practices on

(a) types of shelters;

(b) quality assurance;

(c) principles of service delivery;

(d) client rights and responsibilities;

(e) complaint and appeal processes;

(f) responding to client requests for access to shelters;

(g) customer service;

(h) case management;

(i) health and safety;

(j) administration; and

(k) the regulation of shelters.

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

 

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