The Professional Liability Insurance Bylaws supported by members and honorary members who participated in the AIBC’s electronic vote from June 13 to July 13, 2017, have successfully passed the provincial government’s “disallowance” period and are now in effect.
Read the updated AIBC Bylaw (PDF).
The thrust of the bylaws is the introduction of mandatory PLI for certificate of practice holders (i.e., architectural firms). It is important to note that while the PLI requirement is now in effect, compliance is not required until the February 1, 2019 annual renewal deadline. This 17-month lead time allows for members to research and select the appropriate coverage for their practice, or make decisions on changing that practice.
As a reminder, the approved bylaws allow AIBC Council to establish rules about insurance amounts, coverage and other aspects of the mandatory PLI requirement. A set of draft rules were circulated during the PLI consultation period and are currently under review. Proposed rules will be shared with members in early 2018. The expected minimum amount of PLI coverage would be $250,000 per claim, with an annual aggregate limit of not less than $500,000.
To all firm administrators, please be advised that there will be several questions regarding PLI in the upcoming firm information update in preparation for the 2019 annual renewal cycle. An email with further information will be sent out shortly.
We thank all members and honorary members again for making their voice heard – the PLI bylaws e-vote had the highest turnout rate over the past four bylaw initiatives with 36% of eligible voters casting a ballot. Your active participation and engagement are crucial for both the institute and the profession.
For an overview of AIBC Bylaws and the Bylaw Review Process, please visit aibc.ca.