Bill 1: Integrity In Public Contracts Act

On December 7, 2012, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted Bill 1 concerning integrity in public contracts, the purpose of which is to promote "public confidence in the public procurement process by attesting to the integrity of tenderers" (the Integrity Act or the Act). It amends several Quebec statutes relating to public bodies and public contracts, in particular, An Act Respecting Contracting by Public Bodies (the Public Contracts Act), several sections of which apply to municipal authorities.

An enterprise wishing to enter into a contract with a public body or a municipality must now first determine whether it needs to obtain the required authorization under the Integrity Act. It must also continue to ensure that it, any related entity, and, in the performance of a public contract, any subcontractor, meets the integrity requirements set out by the National Assembly. It should be noted that the register of enterprises that are ineligible for public