Whereas many small business owners in rural British Columbia have many different household income sources; And whereas small businesses form a critical part of rural communities because of the employment, taxes, and services they provide: Therefore be it resolved the Province change the Disaster Financial Assistance program criteria relating to income requirements, eligibility, and insurance availability to better address the needs of rural British Columbia small business owners.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General The Province is in the process of modernizing the Emergency Program Act EPA. As part of the modernization, the Province will also consider regulation, policy and practices as they pertain to all elements of emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. It is anticipated this consideration will include the mechanisms by which the Province provides assistance to citizens following an emergency event. The Province released a discussion paper on October 28, 2019 that outlines proposed legislative changes to the EPA. The three-month consultation was open until January 31, 2020 and local governments, First Nations, interested organizations and public input was encouraged. The Province will also specifically assess the Compensation and Disaster Financial Assistance Regulation in the context of the overall direction of the modernized legislation. This assessment is expected to include a review of the Disaster Financial Assistance criteria relating to income requirements, eligibility, and insurance availability to better address the needs of rural British Columbia small business owners. In addition to seeking input into the development of the discussion paper, the Province is committed to ongoing engagement with the Union of BC Municipalities and local governments in the development of both legislation and regulations.