If you would like easy to understand information on the new Registered Disability Savings Plan please visit www.rdsp.com.

On October 7th it was announced that Attorney General Mike de Jong  introduced Bill 13 into the BC Legislature.  This Bill proposes amendments to the Adult Guardianship and Planning Statutes Amendment Act which was passed in October of 2007.  This bill will enable the proclamation of personal planning legislation, and will introduce important amendments to the Representation Agreement Act, the Power of Attorney Act, and the Health Care Consent and Care Facility Admission Act in British Columbia.

These amendments will make Representation Agreements more accessible to individuals and families across the province, while providing a greater degree of certainty for anyone who has already established a Representation Agreement.  Bill 13 will also allow any amendments to Planning Statutes to be brought into effect separately from the Adult Guardianship Act amendments.

With the launch of the Registered Disability Savings Plan, we have seen a rise in people setting up a Representation Agreements across the province.  As someone with a Representation Agreement in BC is seen to be a “legal representative”, it has allowed many people in BC the opportunity to become a holder for their loved ones RDSP without having to get full legal guardianship.

To view the press release from Ministry of the Attorney General visit: http://www.news.gov.bc.ca/Default.aspx?organization_obj_id=56429306-8c3e-4991-aeb2-1cc86f20bfdd and click on the news release for October 7th, 2009.

The availability of Representation Agreements in BC has brought into focus the absence of comprehensive supported decision-making vehicles in many other Canadian provinces.  We have been working with the Federal Government, financial institutions, and other disability organizations to find a suitable solutions, and will continue to do so.  There has been some significant work done on this issue and we hope to have something brought forth in the near future.  We will provide an update as soon as we know more.

For more information on Representation Agreements you can visit www.plan.ca and check out our online course.