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Part II .

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French-language Services Regulations

made under

Section 10 of the

French-language Services Act

S.N.S. 2004, c. 26

O.I.C. 2006-563 (Dec. 18, 2006, effective Dec. 31, 2006), N.S. Reg. 233/2006

Table of Contents

Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.

Click here to go to the text of the regulations .

Citation

Definitions

Objective of these regulations

Annual French-language services plans

Content of French-language services plans

Addressing priorities of Acadian and francophone community

Reporting progress

Developing French-language services plans

Implementing regulations

Minister’s annual report

List of French-language services co-ordinators

Communicating with public

Information material

Information issued by the Office of Acadian Affairs

Consulting with Acadian and francophone community

Province-wide public meetings for public consultations

Third party services

Participating in Provincial agencies, boards and commissions

Existing practice protected

Limitation of obligations of designated public institutions

Schedule A

Departments

Offices

Agencies

Citation

1 These regulations may be cited as the French-language Services Regulations .

Definitions

2 In these regulations,

(a) “designated public institution” means a department, office, agency of

Government, Crown corporation, or public institution listed in

Schedule A;

(b) “French-language services plan” means a plan developed and published

under

Section 4 by a designated public institution.

Objective of these regulations

(1) The objective of these regulations is to ensure that there are substantive and

measurable improvements to the French-language services offered by the

Government of Nova Scotia.

(2) Before July 31, 2010, the Minister must conduct a review of the French-language

services offered by the Government of Nova Scotia for the purpose of evaluating

the effectiveness of these regulations in achieving the objective set out in

subsection (1).

Annual French-language services plans

(1) Before March 31, 2007, and annually before March 31 of each subsequent year,

each designated public institution must develop and publish a French-language

services plan.

Content of French-language services plans

(1) A French-language services plan must describe all of the following:

(

a) how the designated public institution’s staff have been instructed to respond

to verbal and written requests from the public to communicate in French;

(

b) the French-language services offered by the designated public institution;

(

c) the steps the designated public institution will take to preserve or improve

its French-language services in the next fiscal year;

(

d) if the designated public institution intends to improve its French-language

services in the next fiscal year, the specific goals and objectives that have

been established for improving French-language services and the specific

measures that it will take to achieve these goals and objectives;

(

e) how the plan will contribute to the preservation or growth of the Acadian

and francophone community.

Addressing priorities of Acadian and francophone community

6 After January 1, 2008, in addition to meeting the requirements of

Section 5, a French-language services plan must describe how the designated public institution will address

the priorities of the Acadian and francophone community that have been expressed

during consultations required by

Section 15 or in communications between the Acadian

and francophone community and the designated public institution.

Reporting progress

7 After January 1, 2008, in addition to meeting the requirements of

Section 5 and 6, a

French-language services plan must describe the public institution’s progress in reaching

any specific goals and objectives set for the previous fiscal year in accordance with

clause 5(1)(d).

Developing French-language services plans

8 In establishing specific goals and objectives in accordance with clause 5(1)(d), a

designated public institution must give priority to services to which one or both of the

following apply:

(

a) there is a demand from the Acadian and francophone community for the

services to be provided in French;

(

b) failure to provide the services in French may compromise the health, safety

or security of members of the public.

Implementing regulations

9 A Minister responsible for a designated public institution must ensure the following:

(

a) that the designated public institution’s French-language services plan is

developed and published in accordance with these regulations;

(

b) that the implementation of these regulations within the Minister’s area of

responsibility conforms with the purpose of providing quality French-language services and contributing to the preservation and growth of the

Acadian and francophone community.

Minister’s annual report

10 After April 1, 2008, the Minister must set out all of the following in the annual report

required by subsection 7(1) of the French-language Services Act :

(

a) the progress of the designated public institutions in reaching the specific

goals and objectives set for improving French-language services in the

previous fiscal year;

(

b) the progress of the Government of Nova Scotia in reaching the objective set

out in subsection 3(1);

(

c) recommendations to designated public institutions for implementing

French-language services plans.

List of French-language services co-ordinators

11 The Office of Acadian Affairs must publish a list of all French-language services co-ordinators annually.

Communicating with public

12 Each designated public institution must ensure all of the following:

(

a) that all written correspondence in French that is received by the designated

public institution is replied to in French;

(

b) that all information material issued to the public simultaneously in French

(

c) that reasonable and appropriate steps are taken to make members of the

Information material

13 In determining which of its information material that is intended for the general public

give priority to information material to which one or more of the following apply:

(

a) the information material is of particular relevance to the Acadian and

francophone community;

(

b) the information material pertains to French-language service delivery from

the designated public institution;

(

c) failure to provide the information in French may compromise the health,

safety or security of members of the public.

Information issued by the Office of Acadian Affairs

14 Despite

Section 13, all information material that is issued by the Office of Acadian

Affairs and is intended for the general public must be issued in French.

Consulting with Acadian and francophone community

15 The Office of Acadian Affairs must conduct regular consultations with the Acadian and

francophone community regarding French-language services offered by the Government

of Nova Scotia.

Province-wide public meetings for public consultations

(1) French-language services must be provided during at least one session of every

series of Province-wide public meetings conducted by a designated public

institution for the purpose of consulting the public.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if, in the opinion of the Minister responsible for the

public meetings, members of the Acadian and francophone community have been

able to participate in the public consultation process by other appropriate means.

Third party services

17 Each designated public institution must ensure that, if practicable, any new contract or

renewal of a contract between the designated public institution and a third party that

provides services on its behalf requires the third party to provide services in accordance

with these regulations.

Participating in Provincial agencies, boards and commissions

18 Each designated public institution must encourage members of the Acadian and

francophone community to become members of agencies, boards and commissions

whose members are nominated for appointment or appointed by the Government of

Nova Scotia.

Existing practice protected

application of these regulations.

Limitation of obligations of designated public institutions

20 The obligations of designated public institutions under these regulations are subject to

any limits that circumstances make reasonable and necessary, if all reasonable measures

and plans for compliance with these regulations have been taken or made.

Schedule A

Departments

Agriculture

Community Services

Economic Development

Education

Energy

Environment and Labour

Finance

Health

Health Promotion and Protection

Intergovernmental Affairs

Justice

Natural Resources

Public Service Commission

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations

Tourism, Culture and Heritage

Transportation and Public Works

Offices

Communications Nova Scotia

Emergency Management Office

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Review Office

Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture

Office of Acadian Affairs

Office of Immigration

Office of the Ombudsman

Office of the Premier

Agencies

Advisory Council on the Status of Women

Annapolis Valley District Health Authority

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

Cape Breton District Health Authority

Capital District Health Authority

Colchester East Hants District Health Authority

Cumberland District Health Authority

Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority

IWK Health Centre

Nova Scotia Business Inc.

Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation

Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission

Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission

Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation

Nova Scotia Pension Agency

Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board

Pictou County Health Authority

Seniors’ Secretariat

South Shore District Health Authority

South West Nova District Health Authority

Voluntary Planning Board

Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia

Youth Secretariat

Legislative History

Reference Tables

French-language Services Regulations

N.S. Reg.

233/2006

French-language Services Act

Note: The

information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is

compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the French-language Services Regulations made

under the French-language Services Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

233/2006

Dec

31, 2006

date

specified

Jan 5,

The following regulations are not

yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for

rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added

am. = amended

fc. = fee change

ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed

rs . = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

..........................................................

Note that changes to headings are not

included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections

Note

Effective

date

Substituted references legislated for departments and

entities in

Schedule A are not tracked in these editorial notes.

Repealed and Superseded

N.S.

Regulation

Title

In force

date

Repealed

date

Note: Only

regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this

table. It may not reflect the entire

history of regulations on this subject matter.