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IMPORTANT INFORMATION |
Part 1 — Introductory Provisions
1 In this Act:
"administrator" means the person designated by regulation as the administrator of the prescribed program;
"child" means an individual under 19 years of age;
"conviction" includes a conviction for an attempt to commit a relevant offence, a conditional discharge, a disposition made before April 1, 2003 under the Young Offenders Act (Canada) as it then was, a sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada) and an order under sections 810 and 810.1 of the Criminal Code (Canada);
"criminal record check" means a criminal record check under this Act;
"criminal record check authorization" means an authorization for a criminal record check referred to in section 27;
"deputy registrar" means a person appointed under the Public Service Act as deputy registrar for the purposes of this Act;
"employee" means an individual who is employed by an employer and includes an independent contractor who has entered into an agreement with an employer;
"employer" means
(a) the government,
(b) an agency of the government,
(c) a board as defined in the School Act,
(c.1) a francophone education authority as defined in the School Act,
(d) a public body as defined in the Health Authorities Act or a regional health board established under that Act that operates
(i) a hospital as defined by section 1 of the Hospital Act,
(ii) a Provincial mental health facility, a psychiatric unit or a society as defined by section 1 of the Mental Health Act or a mental health clinic or mental health service established by regulations under section 43 of that Act, or
(iii) a facility or service related to medical or health care,
(e) a board, commission, council or other body of persons, whether or not incorporated, all the members of which or all the members of the board of management or board of directors of which are appointed by an Act, an order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council or a minister of the government,
(f) a corporation more than 50% of the shares or ownership of which is directly or indirectly vested in the government,
(g) an individual or corporation that receives operating funds from the government, other than a board or public body referred to in paragraph (c) or (d),
(h) an authority as defined in the Independent School Act,
(h.1) the employer of staff at a community care facility, as defined in the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, that is exempted under section 34 (5) (d) of that Act,
(i) the holder of a licence issued under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, or
(j) a registered member who employs one or more individuals to assist the registered member in carrying on his or her occupation;
"governing body" means an organization established or continued under any of the enactments referred to in Schedule 2;
"minister" means the minister charged by the Lieutenant Governor in Council with the administration of this Act;
"municipality" includes
(a) a regional district, and
(b) an improvement district;
"operating funds" means ongoing, regular funding for core programs or staff;
"outstanding charge" means a charge or an application under a provision enumerated in Schedule 1 for which an information has been sworn or an application has been made that has not yet resulted in a conviction, acquittal or order by the court;
"registered member" means a person who is registered by a governing body under any of the enactments referred to in Schedule 2;
"registrar" means a person appointed under the Public Service Act as registrar for the purposes of this Act;
"registration" includes a licence, permit, certification or letter of permission under any of the enactments referred to in Schedule 2;
"relevant offence" means a provision designated in Schedule 1 as a relevant offence and includes a predecessor to that provision;
"work with children" means working with children directly or having or potentially having unsupervised access to children in the ordinary course of employment or in the practice of an occupation.
2 (1) The purpose of this Act is to help prevent the physical and sexual abuse of children by requiring individuals to whom this Act applies to undergo criminal record checks.
(2) Nothing in this Act is to be interpreted so as to diminish any other requirements that may be imposed under an agreement or any other law on those who work with children.
3 The registrar may exempt an individual or organization from all or any provision of this Act if the registrar is satisfied that the individual or organization is subject to a criminal record check process that meets or exceeds the requirements of this Act.
Part 2 — Criminal Record Check and Appeal
4 (1) When the registrar receives a criminal record check authorization and the prescribed fee, the registrar must carry out a criminal record check on the individual who authorized the criminal record check.
(2) If the registrar determines that the individual who is the subject of the criminal record check has an outstanding charge relating to a relevant offence or has been convicted of a relevant offence, the registrar must
(a) refer the matter to the deputy registrar to determine whether the conviction or outstanding charge indicates that the individual presents a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children, and
(b) notify the individual and the employer, governing body or minister referred to in Part 5, as the case may be, that the individual has an outstanding charge relating to a relevant offence or has been convicted of a relevant offence and that the matter has been referred to the deputy registrar.
(3) In making a determination under subsection (2) (a), the deputy registrar must consider the following:
(a) whether the behaviour associated with the relevant offence would, if repeated, pose a threat of physical or sexual abuse to children;
(b) the circumstances of the offence including the age of the individual at the time of the offence and the existence of any extenuating circumstances;
(c) any other factors that the deputy registrar considers relevant including, without restriction, the time elapsed since the occurrence of the offence or alleged offence, subsequent actions of the individual, the likelihood of the individual repeating a similar kind of behaviour and any attempts at rehabilitation.
(4) The deputy registrar must promptly notify the following persons of the determination under subsection (2) (a):
(a) [Repealed 2002-52-23.]
(b) the individual;
(c) the employer, if the individual is an employee or an applicant for employment;
(d) the governing body, if the individual is a registered member or an applicant for registration;
(e) the administrator, if the individual is a child care provider or an applicant as defined in Part 5.
(5) The deputy registrar must provide written reasons for the determination under subsection (2) (a) to a person referred to in subsection (4), if the person so requests.
5 (1) The individual who is the subject of a criminal record check may request a reconsideration of the determination of the deputy registrar under section 4 by serving the registrar with written notice within 30 days after the day on which the deputy registrar notifies the individual of the determination.
(2) When the registrar receives a notice within the time limit for requesting a reconsideration under subsection (1), the registrar must review the deputy registrar's determination and any records on which it was based and may, but need not, do one or both of the following in conducting the review:
(a) request additional information from the person requesting the reconsideration;
(b) convene a hearing.
(3) For the purposes of a hearing referred to in subsection (2) (b), the registrar, by summons, may require a person
(a) to attend as a witness, at a place and time mentioned in the summons, which time must be a reasonable time from the date of the summons, and
(b) to bring and produce before the registrar all documents, writings, books, deeds and papers in the person's possession, custody or power touching or in any way relating to the subject matter of the review.
(4) A person named in and served with a summons referred to in subsection (3) must attend before the registrar and answer on oath, unless the registrar directs otherwise, all questions touching the subject matter of the inquiry, and produce all documents, writings, books, deeds and papers in accordance with the summons.
(5) When the registrar exercises a power under subsection (3), a person who fails or refuses to comply with subsection (4) is liable, on application to the Supreme Court, to be committed for contempt as if in breach of an order or judgment of the Supreme Court.
(6) After conducting a review under subsection (2), the registrar must
(a) confirm the determination of the deputy registrar, or
(b) overturn the determination of the deputy registrar and direct that the individual does not present a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children.
(7) The registrar must promptly notify the following persons of the decision reached under subsection (6):
(a) the individual;
(b) the employer, if the individual is an employee or an applicant for employment;
(c) the governing body, if the individual is a registered member or an applicant for registration;
(d) the administrator, if the individual is a child care provider or an applicant as defined in Part 5.
(8) The registrar must provide written reasons for the decision reached under subsection (6) to a person referred to in subsection (7), if the person so requests.
6 (1) The following persons must provide any records that the registrar or deputy registrar may, by order, require for the purpose of making a determination under this Part with respect to an individual:
(a) the employer, if the individual is an employee or an applicant for employment;
(b) the governing body, if the individual is a registered member or an applicant for registration;
(c) the administrator, if the individual is a child care provider or an applicant as defined in Part 5.
(2) If the registrar, the deputy registrar or any other person is required to disclose any of the following information to an employer, governing body or other person under this Act, that information must be disclosed only in accordance with the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada):
(a) a sentence under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada);
(b) a disposition made before April 1, 2003 under the Young Offenders Act (Canada) as it then was;
(c) any other information contained in youth records under those Acts.
(3) Information provided under this Act must not be used or disclosed for any purpose other than the purpose set out in section 2 of this Act or in section 33.1 (l) (m), 33.2 (i) or 44 (2) or (3) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
(4) Subsection (3) applies despite any provision of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act other than the provisions of that Act referred to in subsection (3).
Part 3 — Employers and Employees
7 (1) In this section:
"municipality" includes
(a) a regional district, and
(b) an improvement district;
"post secondary institution" means
(a) a university under the University Act,
(b) the University of Northern British Columbia,
(b.1) [Repealed 2002-35-2.]
(b.2) Royal Roads University,
(b.3) the Thompson Rivers University,
(c) [Repealed 2004-33-13.]
(d) an institution as defined in the College and Institute Act.
(2) This Part applies to employers and employees other than
(a) an employee who is subject to a criminal record check under Part 4 as a registered member,
(b) subject to subsection (3), a post secondary institution or an employee of a post secondary institution, or
(c) a municipality or an employee of a municipality.
(3) This Part applies to child care facilities operated by a post secondary institution and to the employees of the post secondary institution who work at those child care facilities.
8 (1) An employer must ensure that every individual who is hired for employment involving work with children and every employee who works with children undergoes a criminal record check.
(2) Despite subsection (1), an employer must not require an applicant for employment to authorize a criminal record check unless the employer has offered employment to the applicant.
(3) The employer must inform individuals of the requirements of this Act if those individuals are employed by or are applicants for employment with the employer in a job that involves working with children.
9 (1) When an individual is offered employment that involves working with children, the individual must provide a criminal record check authorization to the employer.
(2) An employer must not employ an applicant in a job that involves working with children unless the applicant has provided the criminal record check authorization in accordance with subsection (1).
10 (1) An employee who works with children must provide a criminal record check authorization to his or her employer.
(2) If an employee does not provide a criminal record check authorization as required by subsection (1) or section 12,
(a) the employee must not work with children until the employee has provided the criminal record check authorization, and
(b) the employer of the employee must ensure that the employee does not work with children until the employee has provided a criminal record check authorization.
11 If the deputy registrar determines that an outstanding charge or conviction indicates that the individual presents a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children and unless that determination is overturned by the registrar under section 5,
(a) if the individual is an applicant for employment, the employer must ensure that the individual is not hired for a job that involves working with children, or
(b) if the individual is an employee, the employer must ensure that the employee does not work with children.
12 (1) If an employee who works with children is charged with or convicted of a relevant offence subsequent to a criminal record check, the employee must promptly report the charge or conviction to the employee's employer and provide to the employer a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check.
(2) When an employer becomes aware that an employee who works with children has an outstanding charge for, or has been convicted of, a relevant offence, the employer must require the employee to provide a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check.
(3) If an employee is also a registered member, the employer must take reasonable steps to notify the registered member's governing body that the employer is taking action under subsection (2).
13 (1) A governing body must ensure that every member of the governing body who is registered and every individual who applies for registration undergoes a criminal record check.
(2) The governing body must inform individuals of the requirements of this Act if those individuals are registered members or are applicants for registration as a member of the governing body.
14 (1) Before an individual is registered as a member of a governing body, the individual must provide a criminal record check authorization to the governing body.
(2) A governing body must not register an applicant unless the applicant has provided the criminal record check authorization in accordance with subsection (1).
15 (1) A registered member must provide a criminal record check authorization to his or her governing body.
(2) If a registered member does not provide the criminal record check authorization as required by subsection (1) or section 17,
(a) the registered member must not work with children until the registered member has provided the criminal record check authorization, and
(b) the governing body must investigate or review the registration of the registered member and take appropriate action under the Act that governs the governing body.
(3) If a registered member carries on his or her occupation as an employee, the governing body must take reasonable steps to notify the registered member's employer that it is taking action under subsection (2) (b).
16 (1) If the deputy registrar determines that an outstanding charge or conviction indicates that the individual presents a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children and unless that determination is overturned by the registrar under section 5, the governing body must investigate or review the individual's registration or application for registration and take appropriate action under the Act that governs the governing body.
(2) If a registered member carries on his or her occupation as an employee, the governing body must take reasonable steps to notify the registered member's employer that the governing body is taking action under subsection (1).
(3) An employer who is notified under subsection (2) must ensure that the employee does not work with children.
17 (1) If a registered member is charged with or convicted of a relevant offence subsequent to a criminal record check, the registered member must promptly report the charge or conviction to the member's governing body and provide to the governing body a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check.
(2) When a governing body becomes aware that a registered member has an outstanding charge for, or has been convicted of, a relevant offence, the governing body must require the registered member to provide a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check.
(3) If a registered member carries on his or her occupation as an employee, the governing body must take reasonable steps to notify the registered member's employer that the governing body is taking action under subsection (2).
(4) An employer who is notified under subsection (3) must ensure that the employee does not work with children until the employee has provided a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check under subsection (1) or (2).
Part 5 — Unlicensed Family Child Care Providers
18 In this Part:
"applicant" means an individual who operates or who intends to operate an unlicensed family child care facility and requests registration for the facility under a prescribed program;
"child care provider" means an individual who operates an unlicensed family child care facility and who is registered under a prescribed program;
"unlicensed family child care facility" means a facility other than a facility under the Community Care Facility Act that offers child care to one or 2 children not related by blood or marriage to the operator of the facility.
19 (1) The administrator must ensure that every individual who requests registration as a child care provider and every child care provider undergoes a criminal record check.
(2) The administrator must inform an individual of the requirements of this Act if that individual is a child care provider or requests registration as a child care provider.
20 (1) When an individual applies for registration under a prescribed program, the individual must provide a criminal record check authorization to the administrator.
(2) The administrator must not register an applicant who has not complied with subsection (1) and section 24.
21 (1) A child care provider must provide a criminal record check authorization to the administrator.
(2) If a child care provider does not provide the criminal record check authorization as required by subsection (1) or section 23,
(a) the child care provider must not work with children until the child care provider has provided the criminal record check authorization, and
(b) the administrator must revoke the registration of a child care provider who has not provided the criminal record check authorization.
22 (1) If the deputy registrar determines that an outstanding charge or conviction indicates that the individual presents a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children and unless that determination is overturned by the registrar under section 5,
(a) if the individual is an applicant, the administrator must not register the individual, or
(b) if the individual is a child care provider, the administrator must revoke the registration of the individual under the prescribed program.
(2) The minister must inform the police force, police department or designated policing unit, as defined in section 1 of the Police Act, that is responsible for policing the area in which the facility is located, if the minister believes that an individual who was determined to present a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children is continuing to operate a child care facility.
23 (1) If a child care provider is charged with or convicted of a relevant offence subsequent to a criminal record check, the child care provider must promptly report the charge or conviction to the administrator and provide to the administrator a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check.
(2) When the administrator becomes aware that a child care provider has an outstanding charge for, or has been convicted of, a relevant offence, the administrator must require the child care provider to provide a criminal record check authorization for a further criminal record check.
24 A child care provider must not permit an individual who is over the age of 12, other than a parent of a child enrolled at the facility, to be ordinarily present on the premises where the unlicensed family child care facility is located, during the time that children enrolled in the facility are present, unless the child care provider has obtained a criminal record check authorization for that individual and provided it to the administrator.
27 The authorization for a criminal record check must
(a) be in the form provided by the registrar,
(b) be signed by the individual to whom the criminal record check will relate, and
(c) include the individual's authorization to submit his or her fingerprints if necessary to verify the results of the criminal record check.
27.1 The registrar may waive the payment of the prescribed fee payable for a criminal record check if the registrar considers the waiver to be in the public interest.
27.2 (1) The registrar may delegate to a person any or all of his or her powers, duties or functions, including, without restriction, powers, duties or functions relating to a reconsideration under section 5.
(2) The deputy registrar may delegate to a person any or all of his or her powers, duties or functions, including, without restriction, powers, duties or functions relating to a determination under section 4.
(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to a power, duty or function delegated to the deputy registrar by the registrar under subsection (1).
28 (1) A person who contravenes section 6 (1), (2) or (3), 8 (1) or (2), 9 (2), 10 (2) (a) or (b), 11 (a) or (b), 12 (2) or (3), 13 (1), 14 (2), 15 (2) (a) or (b) or (3), 16 (1), (2) or (3), 17 (2), (3) or (4) or 21 (2) (a) is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of up to $5 000.
(2) A person who contravenes section 10 (1), 12 (1), 15 (1), 17 (1), 21 (1) or 23 (1) is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of up to $50 for each day on which the contravention continues.
(3) Section 5 of the Offence Act does not apply to this Act or the regulations.
29 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations referred to in section 41 of the Interpretation Act.
(2) Without restricting subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:
(a) governing the procedure for making criminal record checks;
(b) adding provisions to and removing provisions from Schedule 1;
(c) adding enactments to and removing enactments from Schedule 2;
(d) exempting persons or classes of persons from the application of all or any provision of this Act or the regulations;
(e) prescribing the fee payable for a criminal record check;
(f) prescribing acceptable methods of paying the fee for a criminal record check;
(g) prescribing programs for the purposes of Part 5 and designating the administrator of a program.
(Section 1, definition of "relevant offences")
Relevant Offences
1 The following sections of the Criminal Code (Canada) are designated as relevant offences:
| section 151: | (Sexual Interference); | |
| section 152: | (Invitation to Sexual Touching); | |
| section 153: | (Sexual Exploitation); | |
| section 155: | (Incest); | |
| section 159: | (Anal Intercourse); | |
| section 160: | (Bestiality); | |
| section 161: | (Order of Prohibition); | |
| section 163.1: | (Child Pornography); | |
| section 170: | (Parent or Guardian Procuring Sexual Activity); | |
| section 171: | (Householder Permitting Sexual Activity); | |
| section 172: | (Corrupting Children); | |
| section 173 (1): | (Indecent Acts); | |
| section 173 (2): | (Exposure); | |
| section 177: | (Trespassing at Night); | |
| section 179: | (Vagrancy); | |
| section 212 (1): | (Procuring a Person for the Purposes of Prostitution); | |
| section 212 (2): | (Living Off Avails of Child Prostitution); | |
| section 212 (4): | (Attempting to Obtain the Sexual Services of a Child); | |
| section 215: | (Duties of Persons to Provide Necessities); | |
| section 218: | (Abandoning Child); | |
| section 220: | (Causing Death by Criminal Negligence); | |
| section 221: | (Causing Bodily Harm by Criminal Negligence); | |
| section 229: | (Murder); | |
| section 235: | (Punishment for Murder); | |
| section 236: | (Punishment for Manslaughter); | |
| section 237: | (Punishment for Infanticide); | |
| section 238: | (Killing Unborn Child in Act of Birth); | |
| section 239: | (Attempt to Commit Murder); | |
| section 240: | (Accessory after Fact to Murder); | |
| section 242: | (Neglect to Obtain Assistance in Child Birth); | |
| section 243: | (Concealing Body of Child); | |
| section 244: | (Causing Bodily Harm with Intent); | |
| section 245: | (Administering Noxious Thing); | |
| section 246: | (Overcoming Resistance to Commission of Offence); | |
| section 264: | (Criminal Harassment); | |
| section 264.1: | (Uttering Threats); | |
| section 266: | (Assault); | |
| section 267: | (Assault with a Weapon or Causing Bodily Harm); | |
| section 268: | (Aggravated Assault); | |
| section 269: | (Unlawfully Causing Bodily Harm); | |
| section 271: | (Sexual Assault); | |
| section 272: | (Sexual Assault with a Weapon, Threats to a Third Party or Causing Bodily Harm); | |
| section 273: | (Aggravated Sexual Assault); | |
| section 273.3: | (Removal of Child from Canada); | |
| section 279: | (Kidnapping/Forcible Confinement); | |
| section 279.1: | (Hostage Taking); | |
| section 280: | (Abduction of Person under Sixteen); | |
| section 281: | (Abduction of Person under Fourteen); | |
| section 282: | (Abduction in Contravention of Custody Order); | |
| section 283: | (Abduction); | |
| section 372: | (False Messages/Indecent Telephone Calls/Harassing Telephone Calls); | |
| section 810: | (Where Injury or Damage Feared); | |
| section 810.1: | (Where Fear of Sexual Offence). |
2 The following sections of the Food and Drugs Act (Canada) are designated as relevant offences:
| section 39: | (Trafficking in Controlled Drug); | |
| section 48: | (Trafficking in Restricted Drug). |
3 The following section of the Narcotic Control Act (Canada) is designated as a relevant offence:
| section 4: | (Trafficking). |
(Section 1, definition of "governing body")
| 1 | Chiropractors Act |
| 2 | Dentists Act |
| 3 | Health Professions Act |
| 4 | Medical Practitioners Act |
| 5 | [Repealed B.C. Reg. 442/99.] |
| 6 | [Repealed B.C. Reg. 442/99.] |
| 7 | [Repealed B.C. Reg. 232/05.] |
| 8 | [Repealed B.C. Reg. 442/99.] |
| 9 | Optometrists Act |
| 10 | Podiatrists Act |
| 11 | [Repealed B.C. Reg. 442/99.] |
| 12 | Social Workers Act |
| 13 | Teaching Profession Act |
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