The Government in Parliament

This Bill updates the Cayman Islands’ mutual legal assistance framework with the United States by changing the entity responsible for providing assistance to the United States and providing protection from liability for that entity in the exercise of its functions.

Key Provisions:

1. Transfers responsibility for the exercise of functions of the Cayman Mutual Legal Assistance from the Chief Justice or a designated Grand Court Judge to the Attorney General. As a result, the Solicitor General will now be notified of a request from the United States and be able to participate in related proceedings.
2. Protects the Cayman Mutual Legal Assistance Authority from liability in damages when carrying out its functions, except in cases of bad faith, and caps the potential legal costs recoverable from the Cayman Mutual Legal Assistance Authority.
3. Modernises outdated references to legislation, amends certain provisions to render them gender neutral in their application, and restructures other provisions in keeping with modern drafting practices.

Mutual Legal Assistance (United States of America) (Amendment) Bill 2026 - Supplement No. 1 of Legislation Gazette No.40 published on 18 August 2026.

This Bill strengthens regulation and professional standards for notaries public by tightening eligibility requirements, introducing mandatory training and insurance requirements for non-attorney notaries and enhancing oversight and accountability.

Key Provisions:

1. Raises experience requirements, limits eligibility to Caymanians, sets an 80-year age limit for appointment or reappointment and distinguishes between attorney and non-attorney notaries.
2. Requires prescribed training and professional indemnity insurance, with existing non-attorney notaries given six months to complete the training after the regulations take effect.
3. Increases penalties for lapsed appointments, strengthens misconduct investigations and introduces confidentiality requirements, with breaches punishable by up to $5,000 in fines and/or 12 months’ imprisonment.

Notaries Public (Amendment) Bill 2026 Supplement No. 2 of Legislation Gazette No.40 published on 18 August 2026.

This Bill amends the Criminal Records (Spent Convictions) Act to require notaries public to disclose expunged criminal records in circumstances specified under the Act.

Key Provisions: 

1. Adds “Notary Public” into Schedule 4 as a person required to disclose expunged criminal records
2. Provides that the Act will come into force immediately after the Notaries Public (Amendment) Act, 2026. 

Criminal Records (Spent Convictions) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Supplement No. 3 of Legislation Gazette No.40 published on 18 August 2026. 

This Bill proposes two targeted changes to the Development and Planning Act (2021 Revision): removing the requirement for regulations made under the Act to be affirmed by Parliament and extending Cabinet’s existing authority to waive prescribed fees. 

Key Provisions:

3. Repeals section 42(3), so regulations made under the Act would no longer require Parliament’s affirmative approval.
4. Amends section 53(2) to allow Cabinet to consider waivers for fees prescribed under both Schedules 1 and 2 of the Development and Planning Regulations (2024 Revision).
5. The Bill does not itself increase, reduce or waive any fees. Any fee waiver would require a separate decision by Cabinet.

Development and Planning (Amendment) Bill 2026 - Supplement No. 1 of Legislation Gazette No.43 published on 31 August 2026.

This Bill amends the Monetary Authority Act (2020 Revision) to grant the Board of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) the power to determine the composition of its Management Committee and the minimum attendance required for its meetings. It also updates the Act's references to executive position titles, reflecting changes that took effect on 1 November 2024.

Key Provisions:

1. Grants the Board of CIMA the power to determine the composition of its Management Committee and the minimum attendance required for meetings.
2. Updates the titles of the Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, and updates references to the Minister responsible for Financial Services.
3. Provides for the Chief Executive Officer to be appointed as a non-voting member of the Board and confirms that Chief Executive Officers and Deputy Chief Executive Officers already in office remain lawfully appointed and continue to serve under the amended Act.

Monetary Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 - Supplement No. 1 of Legislation Gazette No.41 published on 20 August 2026.

This Bill establishes the legislative framework for environmental health in the Cayman Islands. It also sets out the functions of the Department of Environmental Health, Director of Environmental Health and Environmental Health Officers, as well as provides for related and incidental matters.

Key Provisions:

1. Establishes the functions and responsibilities of the Department of Environmental Health, including monitoring environmental health risks, promoting environmental health standards and implementing measures to prevent or reduce harm to public health. 
2. Provides for the monitoring and regulation of a range of environmental health matters, including but not limited to food safety and hygiene, air quality, noise and vibration, refuse and hazardous waste, swimming pools, and the handling and disposal of human remains. 
3. Establishes enforcement measures for Environmental Health Officers, including powers of entry and to inspect premises, issue warnings and notices, seize items or substances that pose a public health risk, and take action to address serious environmental health violations. It also provides for closure orders, offences and a system of fixed penalties.

Environmental Health Bill, 2026 - Supplement No. 3 of Legislation Gazette No.42 published on 28 August 2026.

This Bill amends the Health Practice Act (2026 Revision) to bring alignment between the professional councils and the health practice commission, where each Council may delegate its duties or functions to sub-committees with the approval of Cabinet. It also provides for the composition and operation of these sub-committees and introduces a definition for the term “Department”.

Key Provisions:

1. Enables each Council to delegate its duties and functions to a sub-committee comprising of Council members, staff or agents of the Department of Health Regulatory Services, co-opted persons or other persons selected by the Council, as approved by Cabinet 
2. Allows each Council to set conditions or limitations on delegated duties and functions, while retaining the authority to exercise those duties and functions itself. Decisions made by a sub-committee under delegated authority are considered decisions of the respective Council. 
3. One of the first practical applications of the legislation is the Cayman Islands Nursing and Midwifery Council establishing an education sub-committee to support the oversight transition of the Ruth Eleanor McLaughlin School of Nursing.

Health Practice (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2026 - Supplement No. 1 of Legislation Gazette No.42 published on 28 August 2026.

This Bill enhances the legislative framework for public health in the Cayman Islands, including by establishing  the Department of Public Health and the Public Health Risk Emergency Committee.

Key Provisions:

1. Establishes the Department of Public Health, as the entity responsible for protecting and promoting public health and the Public Health Risk Emergency Committee to address public health risks in community settings. It sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Director of Public Health, the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing Officer and Public Health Officers.
2. Establishes measures for the prevention and control of notifiable diseases and infectious agents, including reporting and monitoring requirements and measures to prevent the spread of disease. It also enables Cabinet to declare and respond to a public health incident of national threat. 
3. Enables the collection, analysis and publication of national public health statistics and surveillance data, and provides for enforcement, regulatory and transitional matters, including offences under the legislation and Cabinet's regulation-making powers.

Public Health Bill, 2026 - Supplement No. 2 of Legislation Gazette No.42 published on 28 August 2026.

This Bill strengthens public health protections by bringing vaping products and nicotine products under the Tobacco Act's regulatory framework. It restricts access to these products by minors and prohibits the importation, manufacture, sale, advertising and promotion of disposable vaping products. 

Key Provisions:

1. Regulates vaping products by extending requirements for registration, health warnings, packaging, advertising, promotion, sale and use to vaping products.
2. Protects minors by prohibiting the sale or provision of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products to persons under 18 and prohibits minors from purchasing them. 
3. Prohibits the importation, manufacture, packaging, labelling, sale, advertising and promotion of disposable vaping products, with penalties of up to $15,000 for a first offence and $30,000 plus up to 12 months’ imprisonment for subsequent offences.

Supplement 1 of Legislation Gazette 38 2026. Published on 13 August 2026