Bills in Progress, or BiP, gives you a quick summary of where various pieces of legislation are in moving to a vote, enactment – or abandonment. Consultations too.
Bills gazetted
(1st Reading will take or took place at Wednesday Council. Bill Committees not formed yet.)
Human Reproductive Technology (Amendment) Bill 2015
Banning the publication or distribution of advertisements purporting to promote sex selection services through human reproductive technology procedures, whether or not the services are provided in Hong Kong.
Passed 1st reading, Adjourned 2nd reading pending discussion
Insurance Companies (Amendment) Bill 2014
Establishment of Independent Insurance Authority (IIA) and licensing regime. HKSAT government: “Establishment of the IIA is the most important regulatory reform in the insurance sector in the past 30 years since the passage of the Insurance Companies Ordinance in 1983.”
Last Meeting: 14th meeting on 9th March.
Next Meeting: 24th March.
Electronic Health Record Sharing System Bill
From suggestion to have “an eHR sharing system was put forward in the Healthcare Reform Consultation Document “Your Health, Your Life” published in March 2008.”
Last Meeting: 14th meeting on 13th March.
Next Meeting: 31st March.
Property Management Services Bill
Mandatory licensing regime which sets a minimum qualification requirement for property management companies and property management practitioners.
Last Meeting: 8th meeting on 27th February.
Next Meeting: 24th March.
Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 – dubbed “The Article 23 of the Internet”
Addressing the copyright issues for the exemption of parody work.
Last Meeting: 11th meeting on 24th January.
Next Meeting: 17th March.
Private Columbaria Bill
To establish a licensing regime to regulate private columbaria operation.
Last Meeting: 6th meeting on 16th February.
Next Meeting: 23rd March.
District Cooling Services Bill
To legislate the charges to private non-domestic projects on the use of the district cooling services at the Kai Tak Development.
Last Meeting: 8th meeting on 26th February.
Next Meeting: TBC.
Clearing and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill 2015
To establish a regulatory regime for stored value facilities and retail payment systems.
Last Meeting: 1st meeting on 2nd March.
Next Meeting: 23rd March.
Interception of Communications and Surveillance (Amendment) Bill 2015
To empower the Commissioner on Interception of Communications and Surveillance to examine, inspect and listen to protected products.
Next Meeting: 27th March.
Bills pending resumption of 2nd reading
Bill Committees have finished scrutinising the bills and members will vote for 2nd reading, the amendments to the Bills and then third reading during the Council meeting.
Kowloon Tong Church of the Chinese Christian and Missionary Alliance Incorporation (Amendment) Bill 2014
To allow the corporation to borrow or raise money with or without security.
Securities and Futures and Companies Legislation (Uncertificated Securities Market Amendment) Bill 2014
To enable legal ownership in securities to be held and transferred without paper documents.
Veterinary Surgeons Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014
To broaden the membership of the Veterinary Surgeons Board and to establish the preliminary investigation committees.
Appropriation Bill 2015
To approve a sum not exceeding $361,347,460,000 to the services of the Government in the financial year ending on 31 March 2016.
Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2015
To remove some legal uncertainties relating to the opt-in mechanism and update the law with new parties joining the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards 1958, aka the New York Convention.
Consultations underway
Public Consultation on Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme
To implement a supplementary financing scheme for adjusting the balance of public-private healthcare sectors.
- -Closing date on 16th March.
Public Consultation on Review of Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities (PHFs)
To introduce new legislation to broaden the types of PHFs to be regulated, and to replace the existing Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Ordinance (Cap. 165) and the Medical Clinics Ordinance (Cap. 343), which were enacted in the 1960s.
- -Closing date on 16th March.
Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education – Consultation on Code of Good Practices on Governance and Quality Assurance
- -Closing date on 16th March.
Public Consultation on The New Agricultural Policy: Sustainable Agricultural Development in Hong Kong
- -Closing date on 31st March.
Public Consultation on Nutrition and Health Claims on Formula Products and Prepackaged Foods for Infants and Young Children under the Age of 36 Months
- -Closing date on 17th April.
Second-stage Public Consultation to Establish an Effective Resolution Regime for Financial Institutions in Hong Kong
- -Closing date on 20th April.
Future planned consultations
Public consultation on on the future development of the electricity market and the regulatory framework
- -2nd half of 2015
Consultation on the Amendment of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549)
To amend the Ordinance to catch up with the trend of use of Chinese medicines in Hong Kong.
- -November 2014 to May 2015
Consultation on the Introduction of a Mandatory Pre-market Safety Assessment Scheme for Genetically Modified (GM) Food
To regulate GM food by introducing a mandatory pre-market safety assessment scheme in Hong Kong.
- -January to March 2015
Consultation on the Business Impact Assessment (BIA) on the Implementation of the Revised Dangerous Goods (General) Regulation [DG(G)R] and Dangerous Goods (Packing, Marking & Labeling) Regulation
- -Q1 to Q4 2015
Consultation on the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) for Hong Kong
To prepare for the first Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Hong Kong in accordance with the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
- -1st April to 30th June 2015
Consultation on the Security of Payment Legislation for the Construction Industry
To ensure timely receipt of payments for work done along the construction supply chain.
- -April to July 2015
Consultation on the Amendment to Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. 132V)
To amend the current Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations in order to keep up with the international standards.
- -2nd half of 2015
