Efforts to protect French language rights in Quebec date as far back as the 1800s, and since 1974, French has been the only official language in the province. Recently, the government has bolstered their work to promote use of French in Quebec. In May of 2022 the National Assembly of Quebec adopted Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Quebec, which received royal assent on June 1, 2022, and is intended to affirm that the only official language of Quebec is French.
Bill 96 modifies over 25 legislations, including the Charter of the French Language (the Charter) 1977, the Constitution Act of 1867, the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and the Civil Code of Québec. It introduces several measures around the use of French in commerce, labor relations and contracts that have direct impact on business, including the life insurance industry.
