Bills in Progress 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.)
Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2015
To implement new arrangements to replace the existing abscondee regime which CFA has ruled unconstitutional previously.
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: 20th meeting on 11th May.
Next Meeting: 18th May
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: 19th meeting on 12th May.
Next Meeting: 18th May.
Property Management Services Bill
Mandatory licensing regime which sets a minimum qualification requirement for property management companies and property management practitioners.
Last Meeting: 11th meeting on 4th May.
Next Meeting: 8th June.
Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 – dubbed “The Article 23 of the Internet”
Addressing the copyright issues for the exemption of parody work.
Last Meeting: 15th meeting on 12th May
Next Meeting: 19th May.
Private Columbaria Bill
To establish a licensing regime to regulate private columbaria operation.
Last Meeting: 10th meeting on 12th May.
Next Meeting: 26th May.
Clearing and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill 2015
To establish a regulatory regime for stored value facilities and retail payment systems.
Last Meeting: 4th meeting on 12th May.
Next Meeting: 26th May.
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.
Last Meeting: 4th meeting on 11th May
Next Meeting: 1st June.
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.
Last Meeting: 3rd meeting on 12th May.
Next Meeting: 2nd June.
Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal (Electrical Equipment and Electronic Equipment) (Amendment) Bill 2015
To include air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, television sets, computers, printers, scanners and monitors as regulated electrical equipments under the polluter pays principle. Manufacturers and importers of regulated electrical equipments will be required to register and pay a recycling fee.
Last Meeting: 2nd meeting on 4th May.
Next Meeting: 2nd June.
Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2015
To extend tax exemption to offshore private equity funds.
Last Meeting: 1st meeting on 28th April.
Next Meeting: 19th May.
Electoral Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2015
Technical amendments concerning the electorate of the FCs, the name of some FCs, counting procedures and textual errors for the 2016 LegCo election.
Last Meeting: 2nd meeting on 18th May.
Next Meeting: 9th June.
Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015
To carry out the concessionary revenue measures in the latest Budget, such as increasing the child allowance from $70,000 to $100,000 and reducing salaries tax, tax under personal assessment and profits tax for the year of assessment 2014/15 by 75%, subject to a ceiling of
$20,000 per case.
Next Meeting: 1st meeting on 19th May
Peak Tramway (Amendment) Bill 2015
To grant the Peak Tramways Company Limited a 10-year operating right commencing 2016.
Next Meeting: 18th May
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.
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
Consultation on Minor Revision of Junior Secondary Chinese History Curriculum
Closing date on 18th May.
Public Consultation on District Council Election
Closing date on 3rd June
Public Consultation on Future Development of Electricity Market
Closing date on 30th June.
Consultation on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters
Closing date on 30th June.
Consultation on Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme
Closing date on 30th June.
Future planned consultations
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.
Status: TBC
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
To make Hong Kong’s dangerous goods regulations on par with international standards.
Status: Scheduled – Q2 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.
Status: 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.
Status: 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.
Status: 2nd half of 2015
