BILL NO. 71
(as introduced)
3rd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
70 Elizabeth II, 2021
Private Member's Bill
Long-term Care Support Act
Barbara Adams
Cole Harbour–Eastern Passage
First Reading: March 30, 2021
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Fund Training for
Continuing Care Assistants
WHEREAS the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of continuing care assistants and the need for more staff to improve both the quality of care of long-term care residents, but also the need to improve the quality of work-life for continuing care assistants;
THEREFORE be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Long-term Care Support Act.
(a) "Fund" means the Continuing Care Assistant Bursary Fund established under Section 3;
(b) "Minister" means the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education.
3 (1) The Continuing Care Assistant Bursary Fund is hereby established.
(2) The purpose of the Fund is to provide a bursary for students studying to become continuing care assistants.
(3) Subject to Section 9, the Fund consists of money appropriated to the Fund by the Legislature.
4 (1) A person who is a student in a continuing care program at the Nova Scotia Community College or another post-secondary educational institution prescribed by the regulations, or who has been accepted to be a student in the next academic year, may apply to the Fund for a bursary.
(2) An application under subsection (1) must include an undertaking to work in the Province as a continuing care assistant for a minimum of two years following completion of the continuing care assistant program.
5 Subject to Section 9, where a student has applied to the Fund, the Minister may provide a bursary for up to 50 per cent of the student’s tuition in the continuing care program, to a maximum of $2,000, and a further amount of up to $500 to cover the costs of textbooks and other expenses.
6 Subject to Section 9, the Minister shall provide funding to increase the size of continuing care education programs in the Province to at least 1,000 students.
7 (1) The Minister shall establish a working group to facilitate greater in-facility training as part of continuing care education programs.
(2) The working group must include representatives from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, the Department of Health and Wellness, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, the Nova Scotia Community College and other post-secondary educational institutions prescribed by the regulations.
8 (1) The Minister may make regulations prescribing post-secondary educational institutions for the purpose of Sections 4 and 7.
(2) The exercise by the Minister of the power contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
9 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 30, 2021. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
