Summary#
Bill No. 11, introduced in 2025 by the Minister Delegate for Economy and Small and Medium Enterprises, primarily aims to reduce regulatory and administrative burdens, especially for businesses.
It notably proposes:
- to give the Minister of Economy an enhanced role in easing regulations;
- to allow the government to amend certain regulations to reduce formalities, including permit durations;
- to require, in certain ministries and agencies, the removal of one or two formalities for each new formality added;
- to relax rules in the construction, real estate brokerage, funeral services, transportation, mining, forestry, and alcoholic beverages sectors;
- to create a certification for escort vehicle drivers of oversized vehicles;
- to allow pilot projects in the forestry sector;
- to reduce or eliminate several reports, action plans, and accountability obligations;
- to provide more flexibility to Télé-Québec for certain contracts;
- to expand opportunities for municipalities to create financial reserves intended for infrastructure.
The bill also includes significant changes for alcoholic beverage producers. They could delegate more manufacturing, bottling, packaging, and storage activities to subcontractors, under certain conditions.
The rules regarding the storage of natural gas and natural gas and oil pipelines would also be relaxed. Some reviews by the Energy Board would be eliminated.
The expected date of entry into force is the date of assent, except for a few measures that must come into effect later or after the adoption of regulations. The provided material does not confirm whether the bill has been adopted or assented to.
What This Means for You#
- Business Owners: certain permit applications, reports, and formalities could be reduced or simplified.
- Alcoholic Beverage Producers: more activities could be delegated to other license holders. However, traceability documents must be maintained.
- Escort Vehicle Drivers: certification, training, an exam, and sufficient knowledge of French would be required. Specific traffic rules would apply when escort lights are activated.
- Drivers on the Road: they would need to yield to a certified escort vehicle when its lights are on.
- Funeral Home Owners and Managers: the responsible person should be able to reach the facilities within a maximum of one hour, or designate someone to do so. Some professional requirements would be removed.
- Individuals and Businesses from Outside Quebec: certain residency or establishment requirements in Quebec would be removed or replaced by the designation of a local representative.
- Municipalities: they could use financial reserves for infrastructure and would have more time to submit certain income and expense statements.
- General Public: the elimination of several reports could make some public information less frequent or less detailed. The precise effects will depend on the reports concerned and their potential replacements.
Costs#
No general estimate of costs or savings is provided in the available material.
For businesses, the bill could reduce certain administrative costs, such as time spent on reports, permit applications, and compliance.
However, new expenses could apply in certain cases. For example, escort vehicle drivers may need to pay for training, an exam, certification, and administrative fees.
Costs for the government, municipalities, and public agencies are not specified.
No publicly available information.
Supporters' Viewpoint#
Supporters might argue that the bill:
- reduces unnecessary delays and procedures for businesses;
- facilitates the activities of small and medium enterprises;
- modernizes rules deemed too complex or outdated;
- makes subcontracting more accessible in the alcoholic beverages sector;
- improves the regulation of escort vehicles through mandatory certification;
- allows the government to experiment with new approaches in the forestry sector;
- avoids the production of administrative reports that provide little value;
- gives more flexibility to municipalities and Télé-Québec.
They might also say that the mechanism of removing one or two formalities for each new formality imposed creates increased discipline for the administration.
Opponents' Viewpoint#
Opponents might fear that reducing formalities weakens public oversight, particularly in the sectors of environment, mining, natural gas, and forestry.
They might raise concerns about:
- the elimination of reports that allow the public and the National Assembly to monitor the application of certain laws;
- the removal or relaxation of reviews by the Energy Board;
- the risk that forestry pilot projects allow for different rules from general rules;
- the possibility that reduced subcontracting requirements complicate the oversight of alcohol production;
- the risk of conflicts of interest or lack of transparency in certain Télé-Québec contracts;
- the concentration of powers in the hands of the government to amend regulations;
- the absence of details on the control mechanisms that will replace certain eliminated obligations.
The provided material does not contain specific statements from groups or parties regarding the bill.
No publicly available information.