Regulatory Modernization

All ministries review and update their regulations, policies, programs and services on an ongoing basis to keep British Columbians safe, promote innovation, protect the environment, encourage competitiveness and growth, and to make sure everyone is included and represented.

On this page

• Better Regulations for British Columbians
• Better Legislation for British Columbians
• Modernizing Language Guide

Better Regulations for British Columbians

The Better Regulations for British Columbians (BR4BC) amendment process is one of the ways we modernize regulations. Through BR4BC, small regulatory changes are grouped together and updated at once using an efficient and streamlined process. 2025 BR4BC updates include 153 amendments to regulations through Orders in Council and 34 amendments through Ministerial Orders.

• 38 regulatory amendments that help expedite permitting and approvals for bringing major public and private projects online. Examples include:
  • The Contaminated Sites Regulation was amended to add exemptions that streamline processes, such as allowing site users to move sand and gravel without submitting a seven-day notice and exempting sites already certified as clean from soil relocation requirements, reducing administrative burden.
  • The Drinking Water Protection Regulation was amended to streamline the administration of construction permits for small private water systems (fewer than five connections) eliminating the mandatory review of waiver forms by public officials for minor expansions of these water systems.
  • The Provincial Forest Use Regulation was amended to allow the district manager (instead of the Minister) to approve entry onto Crown Land for deactivation and remediation activities via special use permits, streamlining the authorization level.
• Removing measures that have become unnecessary or irrelevant by repealing:
  • The Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Act Regulation, which was rendered obsolete through the recent consolidation of financial regulatory functions under the BC Financial Services Authority.
  • Two land reserves established in the 1950s that are no longer required and are impeding land development activity and the legalization of a BC Hydro power line.
• Updating provisions and wording in the Administrative Orders and Remedies Regulation, Administrative Penalties (Environmental Management Act) Regulation, Code of Practice for Soil Amendments Regulation, Financial Institutions Fees Regulation, Food Premises Regulation, Integrated Pest Management Regulation, Municipal Wastewater Regulation, Ozone Depleting Substances and Other Halocarbons Regulation, Provincial Sales Tax Exemption and Refund Regulation, Provincial Sales Tax Regulation, Refusal of Cutting Permit or Road Permit Regulation, and the Violation Ticket Administration and Fines Regulation.

Download the complete list of the BR4BC 2025 amendments (PDF, 199KB). 

Better Legislation for British Columbians

Better Legislation for British Columbians (BL4BC) is an omnibus package that makes minor amendments to clarify, modernize, correct, or repeal outdated information in B.C.’s provincial statutes. BL4BC’s first round was implemented in 2023 under the Miscellaneous Statutes (Modernization) Amendment Act. Updates include:

• More than 2,300 instances of outdated gendered and binary language were eliminated across 210 statutes from 21 ministries.
• 17 digital option amendments were made, including updates to the British Columbia Railway Act and the British Columbia Transit Act. These changes streamlined legal processes and introduced electronic mail as a digital option for approving resolutions, enhancing efficiency and clarity in business operations.
• Removing outdated measures by repealing:
  • Sections 24.1 to 24.9 of the Forest Act.
  • Section 52(11) of the British Columbia Railway Act.
  • Section 4.1(6) of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.
• Updating provisions and wording in the Architects (Landscape) Act, Assessment Act, Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act, Drainage, Ditch and Dike Act, Employment Standards Act, Environmental Management Act, Family Law Act, Forest and Range Practices Act, Geothermal Resources Act, Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act, Home Owner Grant Act, Integrated Pest Management Act, Interpretation Act, Land Act, Land Survey Act, Land Surveyors Act, Land Tax Deferment Act, Land Title Act, Workers Compensation Act, and Youth Justice Act.

Modernizing Language Guide

The Government of British Columbia is committed to modern, equitable and inclusive legislation, policies and service delivery. As part of that commitment, it is important to ensure that language used in Government products is accessible, up-to-date and reflective of all people in the province. The Modernizing Language Guide has been developed as a resource to help identify and address outdated language and requirements within legislation, policies, forms and all other public-facing materials.