Municipal councillors in Nova Scotia who want parental leave will no longer have to ask their councils for permission first, once a bill introduced Friday by the provincial government becomes law.

The changes proposed to the Municipal Government Act and the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter will guarantee municipal councillors up to a year off when they become parents.

Kings County deputy mayor Emily Lutz, who pushed for the changes, is happy to see them finally move ahead.

"It's a good step forward for municipal politicians both male and female," she said from her home in Rockland, near Berwick, where she is looking after her nine-day-old daughter, Azie, and her two-year-old son, Everett.

"I think it's good for reducing the barriers for people who may be interested in running for public office."

Lutz and fellow councillor Megan Hodges first called for changes to the law last fall.

Just weeks before giving birth, Hodges's request for parental leave was debated publicly by council. Her colleagues agreed to give her a year, which is what municipal employees are entitled to.

Lutz is glad that requirement is being eliminated in the bill brought forward by Municipal Affairs Minister Derek Mombourquette.

"I think it's good that we recognize it's not something you should have to ask for permission for but it should simply be a right enshrined in the process," said Lutz.

The bill also eliminates a provision that states a councillor who misses three council meetings without an explanation could lose their seat.

"That was one of the biggest barriers for this is that if a councillor missed those three meetings they were in jeopardy of losing their seat," said Mombourquette.

Last fall, NDP MLA Claudia Chender introduced a bill similar to the one proposed by the governing Liberals.

"They could have passed the bill earlier if they had passed ours, but this bill looks good and we're very happy to see it," she said.

Also on Friday, MLAs approved a change to House of Assembly rules so that any member taking parental leave or time off for illness only needs to give notice of their intentions of the Speaker of the House. Previously, MLAs had to request permission of the Speaker before taking the leave.

The change was unanimously supported.