The first of four upcoming sittings scheduled for the House of Assembly, ahead of the formal start of the parliamentary year with the Throne Speech, is to proceed on Friday.

While several items of legislation remain on the order paper for debate, an Act tabled last month by opposition MP Jarion Richardson, the Road Traffic and Motor Car (Road Safety and Penalties) Amendment Act 2026, was said by Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House, to face technical problems in its drafting.

However, with the Act still carried over, Mr Richardson told The Royal Gazette that the One Bermuda Alliance was prepared to use “all the legislative tools so that when we bring it to the second reading, and the Government makes its application to prohibit it, then we’re able to fight back”.

Mr Richardson said that the Speaker had not had to rule on the legislation “despite the Government’s attempt to squash it”.

He said earlier that the government side claimed the Act would carry a cost to the public purse and therefore constituted a “money” Bill.

The Opposition contends that it does not.

Mr Richardson said he also might have recourse to parliamentary questions to get estimates “for how they arrived at the numbers they say make it a money Bill”.

The September sittings will also come with the tabling of legislation for the creation of an Education Authority that will ultimately replace the Department of Education, as stated in the House by Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education.

David Burt, the Premier, also indicated in July that he was confident that there would be movement during this legislative session on cannabis reform.

Still to be debated is the Premier, Ministers and Opposition Leader Personal Staffs and Parliamentary Election Amendment Act 2026, which would amend 2019 legislation to introduce “a two-year cooling-off period during which a person who stood unsuccessfully as a candidate in a General Election or by-election may not be appointed to, or continue to hold, a publicly funded personal staff appointment”.

The legislation is aimed at preserving public confidence in “the integrity of appointments made outside the Public Service and to reduce the risk or perception that unsuccessful electoral candidates may be rewarded with publicly funded political-advisory appointments”.

Proposed appointees will be required to file a written “declaration of eligibility”, with an offence added to the books for candidates who knowingly make a false declaration.

The Act would also amend the Parliamentary Election Act 1978 to require the parliamentary registrar to prepare and retain a list of candidates and election outcomes for “a period sufficient to support the operation of the two-year cooling-off period”.

MPs are also expected to debate the Motor Car and Auxiliary Bicycles (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2026, which would drop the ten-year medical exam requirement for people under 70 renewing their driving licence.

A piece of housekeeping legislation, the Trustee Amendment Act 2026, also awaits debate.

The Act would “streamline” record-keeping with the appointment of a supervisor for “certain trustees” — and to update legislation relating to “confidentiality and disclosure of beneficial ownership information kept by trustees”, as well as modernising the definition of “beneficial owner” in the Proceeds of Crime (Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing) Regulations 2008.

After Friday, three subsequent sittings are scheduled for September 11 and 25, followed by October 4.