HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

1 Section 1 of the Human Rights Code, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 210, is amended by repealing the definition of "age" and substituting the following:

"age" means an age of 19 years or more; .

2 Section 7 (2) is repealed and the following substituted:

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a private communication, a communication intended to be private or a communication related to an activity otherwise permitted by this Code.

3 Section 8 is amended

(a) in subsection (1) by striking out "sex or sexual orientation" and substituting "sex, sexual orientation or age", and

(b) in subsection (2) (b) by adding "or age" after "physical or mental disability".

4 Section 13 (3) (b) is repealed and the following substituted:

(b) as it relates to marital status, physical or mental disability, sex or age, to the operation of a bona fide retirement, superannuation or pension plan or to a bona fide group or employee insurance plan, whether or not the plan is the subject of a contract of insurance between an insurer and an employer.

5 Section 41 is amended by renumbering the section as section 41 (1) and by adding the following subsection:

(2) Nothing in this Code prohibits a distinction on the basis of age if that distinction is permitted or required by any Act or regulation.

Consequential Amendment

Public Service Act

6 Section 23 of the Public Service Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 385, is repealed.

Commencement

7  This Act comes into force on January 1, 2008.