As many societies are already aware, British Columbia’s new Societies Act will enter into force on November 28, 2016. The new legislation will affect all societies in British Columbia.
What are the changes?
While the new Act is unlikely to dramatically affect day-to-day business for most societies, some changes are worth noting:
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- All existing societies must file a transition application within two years of November 28, 2016.
- New rules apply as to what can/cannot be included in a society’s constitution and bylaws.
- Increased mandatory disclosure involving director remuneration will apply.
- Differential treatment of qualified “member-funded societies” and regular societies.
- Bylaw provisions that are inconsistent with the new Act will no longer have any effect.
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Accordingly, many societies are taking this opportunity to review and amend their bylaws to comply with the new law. For further reading, see the BC Government publication “Preparing for the new Societies Act“.
Where can I find more information?
For more general information about the new legislation published by the British Columbia Government, click here.
If you have questions about the upcoming changes to the law, please contact us.
