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Bills in progress June 26 - Harbour Times

Bills in progress June 26

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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.)

 

Securities and Futures (Amendment) Bill 2015

To enable the Securities and Futures Commission to provide a narrow form of supervisory assistance to regulators outside Hong Kong upon request.

 

Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2015

To enhance the tax appeal mechanism and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Board of Review (Inland Revenue Ordinance).

 

Passed 1st reading, Adjourned 2nd reading pending discussion

 

Property Management Services Bill

Mandatory licensing regime which sets a minimum qualification requirement for property management companies and property management practitioners.

Last Meeting: 12nd meeting on 8th June.

Next Meeting: 29th June.

 

Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2014 – dubbed “The Article 23 of the Internet”

Addressing the copyright issues for the exemption of parody work.

Last Meeting: 19th meeting on 23rd June.

Next Meeting: 29th June.

 

Private Columbaria Bill

To establish a licensing regime to regulate private columbaria operation.

Last Meeting: 13nd meeting on 22nd June.

Next Meeting: 29th June.

 

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: 6th meeting on 22nd June.

Next Meeting: 29th 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: 4th meeting on 2nd June.

Next Meeting: 6th July.

 

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: 4th meeting on 22nd June.

Next Meeting: 20th July.

 

Peak Tramway (Amendment) Bill 2015

To grant the Peak Tramways Company Limited a 10-year operating right commencing 2016.

Last Meeting: 2nd meeting on 2nd June.

Next Meeting: 29th June.

 

Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2015

To implement new arrangements to replace the existing abscondee regime which CFA has ruled unconstitutional previously.

Last Meeting: 1st meeting on 2nd June.

Next Meeting: 7th July.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2015

To extend tax exemption to offshore private equity funds.

 

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.

 

Special Holiday (3 September 2015) Bill

To designate 3 September 2015 as an one-off holiday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

 

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.”

 

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.”

 

Clearing and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill 2015

To establish a regulatory regime for stored value facilities and retail payment systems.

 

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.

 

Consultations underway

 

Public Consultation on Future Development of Electricity Market

  • Closing date on 30th June.
  • Consultation forum on 23rd June 7-9pm in Leighton Hill Community Hall, Wan CHai.

 

Consultation on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters

  • Closing date on 30th June.

 

Consultation on Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme

Initial proposal on inclusion of new products under third phase of Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme.

  • Closing date on 30th June.

 

Public Consultation on Enactment of Apology Legislation

  • Closing date on 3rd August.

 

Proposals for Enhancing the Use of Port Back-up Land in Kwai Tsing

  • Closing date on 15th August.

 

Stage 1 Public Engagement for Urban Design Study for the Wan Chai North and North Point Harbourfront Areas

  • Closing date on 15th August.

 

Public Consultation on Proposed Security of Payment Legislation

  • Closing date on 31st August.

 

Stage 3 Community Engagement for Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area

  • Closing date on 16th September.

 

 

Future planned consultations

 

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 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.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 1st April to 30th June 2015