Alberta proposes Regulated Professions Neutrality Act
Alberta has introduced Bill 13, also known as the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act, which aims to prevent licensing and regulatory bodies from disciplining professionals for their off-duty speech or social media activity. The bill would prohibit punishment for “expressive off-duty conduct,” with some exceptions such as threats of violence, professional boundary violations, or misconduct involving minors. It also restricts mandatory training by these bodies to topics strictly related to professional competence or ethics, banning compulsory courses on DEI, unconscious bias, or cultural competency. The legislation, dubbed Alberta’s “Peterson law” after Jordan Peterson’s prior disciplinary case, is framed by the government as a protection for free expression and a way to ensure regulators focus on competence rather than policing beliefs. Critics argue the bill could open the door to hateful or harmful speech under the guise of protecting expression.