The Government in Parliament

 The Second Meeting of the 2025-2026 Session of Parliament is set to begin on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, at 2:00 pm in the House of Parliament, George Town. In the upcoming Session, Government will discuss key business, including proposed legislation, and table Annual Reports from CIG entities.

Stay informed about the business that will be discussed in the House of Parliament by tuning in to live broadcasts on CIG YouTube channel, CIGTV cable, or listen on Radio Cayman FM.

Summaries of each sitting will be published to highlight the business conducted and decisions taken. Watch the coverage of the Second Meeting of the 2025-2026 Session of Parliament live or on demand. 

Explore concise and informative summaries of parliamentary proceedings, providing highlights such as key discussions, decisions, and legislative matters addressed during each session.

Learn about the bills for deliberation below:

The Bill aims to ensure that churches registered as Non-Profit Organisations are fully aligned with the registration and governance requirements of the Non-Profit Organisation Act. By explicitly affirming the non-profit nature of their activities in law, the Bill enhances transparency, mitigates financial crime risks, and demonstrates the jurisdiction’s commitment to best practice regulation in line with international anti-money laundering, counter-financing of terrorism, and counter-proliferation financing standards.

 In addition to compliance improvements, the Bill introduces modernised governance provisions that reflect current realities and supportive of good stewardship.

The Public Service Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 aims to strengthen civil service operations in the Cayman Islands, especially around information sharing and the regulation of non-Caymanian employment. 

The Bill aims to clarify the treatment of tokenised investment funds, where traditional equity or investment interests are digitally represented on a blockchain. 

 In a tokenised fund, shares of units of a traditional investment fund are represented as digital tokens on a blockchain. These tokens signify ownership of a portion of the fund and may offer investors certain advantages over traditional equity and investment interest.

The proposed amendment will provide needed clarity to tokenized funds with respect to the obligations of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act.

This Bill seeks to amend the Public Managementand Finance Act (2020 Revision) ("the principal Act") in order to change the period within which a strategic policy statement should be presented to the Parliament after a General Election. The Bill also updates the principal Act to refer to Parliament and not the Legislative Assembly.

Clause 1 provides the short title of the legislation.

Clause 2 makes a general amendent to the principal Act to provide that the words "Legislative Assembly" should be deleted and replaced by the word "Parliament".  

Clause 3 amends section 23 of the principal Act to provide that a strategic policy statement required under that section should be presented to Parliament within six months after the date of the General Election and not three months as currently provided.

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill 2025 aims to strengthen protections against sexual harassment in the workplace and other settings. The bill defines sexual harassment in a comprehensive manner, covering verbal, physical, and visual conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

It establishes clear processes for complaints, investigations, and penalties for offenders, promoting a culture of accountability. The bill also requires employers to implement policies and provide training on preventing harassment. Key provisions include safeguarding victims from retaliation and ensuring that organisations are proactive in addressing harassment issues.

The National Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2024 seeks to enhance environmental protection by amending existing conservation laws. Key provisions of the bill include strengthening regulations around the protection of endangered species, critical habitats, and marine environments. It also focuses on improving enforcement mechanisms, increasing penalties for violations, and providing clearer guidelines for sustainable development. The bill aims to ensure better management of natural resources, promote conservation efforts, and support the territory's commitment to environmental sustainability for future generations. Additionally, it empowers government agencies with greater authority to take proactive measures in conservation efforts.

The Referendum (Cruise Berthing Infrastructure, Gambling and Cannabis) Bill 2024 addresses three significant issues that will be put to the public vote: cruise berthing infrastructure, gambling, and cannabis legalisation. The bill establishes a process for holding a referendum on each of these matters, allowing citizens to vote on whether they support or oppose the development of new cruise berthing facilities, the legalisation of gambling, and the decriminalisation or regulation of cannabis. It outlines the procedures for organising and conducting the referendum, the eligibility criteria for voters, and the process for counting and announcing the results. The goal of the bill is to ensure that these important issues are decided through a democratic process, reflecting the will of the people.

The Customs and Border Control (Amendment) Bill introduces several key changes to the import process in the Cayman Islands. First, it establishes a 2% duty rate on temporary imports, meaning goods brought into the country for short-term use will be subject to this fee. The bill also introduces new penalties for non-compliance with import regulations, aimed at strengthening enforcement. Additionally, it introduces non-refundable application fees for certain customs-related services, which are designed to cover administrative costs and reduce misuse of the system. These amendments aim to streamline operations and improve revenue collection while ensuring greater compliance with customs regulations.

The Beneficial Ownership Transparency Bill, seeks to revise the definition of "beneficial owner" to ensure clarity in identifying individuals who control entities. It also empowers the Competent Authority to grant access to the beneficial ownership search platform to additional entities, including the Customs and Border Control Service, to enhance enforcement and compliance. Furthermore, the bill includes measures to ensure the continued effectiveness of the legislative framework governing beneficial ownership transparency. Finally, it addresses incidental and connected matters to support the broader objectives of the Act.