Bill 46 Implementation

In 2020, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 46: Health Statutes Amendment Act, designed to significantly amend the Health Professions Act (HPA) and streamline regulatory processes. Key changes included, but not limited to:

• Moving the list of Health Services Restricted Activities set out in Schedule 7.1 of the Government Organization Act to Part 0.1 of the HPA.
• Moving the restricted activity authorization for each profession into the new Health Professions Restricted Activity Authorization Regulation.
• Reorganizing certain regulatory requirements, such as registration requirements, resulting in amendments to the HPA, Regulations, Bylaws and Standards of Practice.
• Shifting Continuing Competence Programs from a College’s Regulation to a Standard of Practice.
• Adding provisions enabling Colleges to apply to the Minister to amalgamate.
• Fully separating the operation of regulatory colleges from professional associations.

The College has been working diligently over the past two years to align the Dental Hygienists Profession Regulation, Bylaws, Standards of Practice and Continuing Competence Program with the changes to the HPA. As a result, a set of updated documents came into effect on March 31, 2023.

Although the College has always had a regulatory mandate, the College performed a small number of association functions. With the enactment of Bill 46, all Alberta Colleges fully divested themselves of association activities.