Legislative summaries

  1. Legislative Summary of Bill C-10: An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    c10-e.pdf (1.9 MB)
    The bill modernizes the Broadcasting Act (the Act) to bring businesses that provide audio or audiovisual content online within its scope. It also amends broadcasting and regulatory policies in order to provide accessible programming and to ensure that the various segments of Canada’s population, for example Indigenous people, racialized communities and people of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, are represented. In addition, the bill modifies the mandate and powers of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CRTC will have more flexibility to enforce regulations.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Broadcasting
    Canadian content
    Cultural expressions
    Indigenous peoples
    Internet
    Minorities
    Radio
    Statutes
    Television

  2. Legislative Summary of Bill C-12: An Act respecting transparency and accountability in Canada’s efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    43-2-c12-e.pdf (4.41 MB)
    This bill requires the Government of Canada to set national targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and establishes a planning, reporting and assessment process with the aim of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Climate change
    Environmental protection
    Greenhouse gas emissions
    Statutes
    Sustainable development

  3. Legislative Summary of Bill C-11: An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act and the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    43-2-c11-e.pdf (1.98 MB)
    This bill creates two new pieces of legislation: the Consumer Privacy Protection Act (the CPPA) and the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act (the Tribunal Act). It repeals Part 1 of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and changes the short title to the Electronic Documents Act. The purpose of the CPPA remains essentially the same as that of PIPEDA: to establish rules to govern the protection of personal information in a manner that recognizes the right to privacy of individuals and the need of organizations to collect, use of disclose personal information for the purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Consumer rights
    Electronic commerce
    Federal administrative tribunals
    Personal data
    Privacy
    Privacy Commissioner of Canada
    Statutes

  4. Legislative Summary of Bill C-14: An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measures

    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    c14-e.pdf (1.83 MB)
    This bill consists of seven parts and one schedule: Part 1 amends the Income Tax Act and the Children's Special Allowances Act to provide additional support for families and children in response to the coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic. It also clarifies eligible expenses with respect to the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy in the Income Tax Act. Part 2 amends the Canada Student Loans Act to temporarily suspend interest and interest payments with respect to guaranteed student loans. Part 3 amends the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act to temporarily suspend interest and interest payments with respect to student loans. Part 4 amends the Apprentice Loans Act to temporarily suspend interest and interest payments with respect to apprentice loans. Part 5 amends the Food and Drugs Act to authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations requiring persons to provide the Minister of Health with information that the minister deems necessary and to make regulations to prevent or alleviate shortages of therapeutic products. It also amends the Act to provide that any prescribed provisions of regulations made under that Act apply to food, drugs, cosmetics and devices intended for export that would otherwise be exempt from the application of that Act, Part 6 authorizes payments to be made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purposes of the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund, initiatives related to health and COVID 19, and income support payments under the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act. Part 7 amends the limit on Government of Canada borrowing set out in the Borrowing Authority Act.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Family
    Income security
    National debt
    Public expenditures
    Statutes
    Student loans

  5. Legislative Summary of Bill C-5: An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)

    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    c5-e.pdf (1.82 MB)
    Bill C-5 aims to respond to call to action number 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) by creating a statutory holiday for federally regulated employees, to be known as the “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.” The proposed holiday will take place on 30 September each year to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis residential school survivors and their families and communities. The holiday will also ensure commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Commemorative events
    Holidays
    Indigenous peoples
    Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples
    Residential schools for Indigenous children
    Statutes

  6. Legislative Summary of Bill C-7: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    43-2-c7-e.pdf (4.16 MB)
    This bill includes the federal response to the September 2019 Superior Court of Quebec decision in Truchon c. Procureur général du Canada, which related to the federal Criminal Code (the Code) provisions on medical assistance in dying (MAID) and Quebec’s Act respecting end-of-life care. The bill amends the Code provisions on MAID by establishing a separate set of procedural safeguards for individuals whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable and making some amendments to the safeguards that apply in the case of individuals whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable. It also amends the eligibility criteria by establishing that mental illness is not an illness, disease or disability for the purpose of determining eligibility for MAID.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Assisted suicide
    Criminal law
    Euthanasia
    Statutes

  7. Legislative Summary of Bill C-8: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94)

    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    c8-e.pdf (1.81 MB)
    The bill aims to modify the Oath or Affirmation of Citizenship, a change requiring an amendment to the Citizenship Act.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Aboriginal and treaty rights
    Citizenship
    Citizenship ceremonies
    Government bills
    Oaths of allegiance
    Sovereign
    Statutes

  8. Legislative Summary of Bill C-20: An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures

    Legislative Summary
    43-1
    c20-e.pdf (1.85 MB)
    Bill C-20 consists of three parts, comprising 11 clauses and a schedule: Part 1 amends the Income Tax Act (ITA) to enact changes to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), particularly with respect to amalgamated corporations, the baseline remuneration period, the treatment of specified entities, the use of payroll service providers and the adoption of a two-part CEWS. Part 2 amends the Pension Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, the ITA, the Children's Special Allowances Act and the Veterans Well-being Act to allow personal information to be disclosed if the information is required for the administration of a program to provide a one-time payment to persons with disabilities for reasons related to COVID-19. It also provides that any amount paid in relation to the administration of the one-time payment program is to be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Part 3 enacts the Time Limits and Other Periods Act (COVID-19), which suspends certain time limits in relation to court proceedings and allows ministers to temporarily suspend or extend time limits and extend other periods in relation to specified Acts and regulations in order to respond to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-
    Grants
    Income security
    Industry assistance
    Public expenditures
    Statutes

  9. Legislative Summary of Bill C-6: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy)

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    43-2-c6-e.pdf (4.12 MB)
    This bill states that conversion therapy causes harm to persons who are subjected to it, particularly children. It harms society more broadly by promoting myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity. Consequently, the bill aims to discourage and denounce conversion therapy by criminalizing certain activities related to it, with the further intention of protecting “the human dignity and equality of all Canadians.” It amends the Criminal Code in order, among other things, to prohibit anyone from advertising services related to conversion therapy; forcing persons or causing a child to undergo conversion therapy; removing a child from Canada to undergo conversion therapy abroad; and receiving a material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    Criminalization
    Gender identity and expression
    Minors
    Psychotherapy
    Sexual orientation
    Statutes

  10. Legislative Summary of Bill C-4: An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19

    Legislative Summary
    43-2
    c4-e.pdf (1.89 MB)
    Bill C-4 has three parts, comprising 10 clauses, and a schedule: Part 1 enacts the Canada Recovery Benefits Act (CRBA) to authorize the payment of three new temporary benefits (i.e., the Canada recovery benefit, the Canada recovery sickness benefit and the Canada recovery caregiving benefit) to workers impacted by COVID 19 who are not eligible for Employment Insurance (EI). These benefits will be in place until 25 September 2021. It also makes consequential amendments to the Income Tax Act (ITA) and the Income Tax Regulations. Part 2 amends the Canada Labour Code (CLC) to, among other things, modify the reasons for which an employee may take leave related to COVID 19, along with the number of weeks associated with that leave. In addition, it extends the duration of the leave provisions from 1 October 2020 until 25 September 2021. Part 2 also amends the legislation to temporarily authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations to remove requirements or conditions regarding certificates issued by a health care practitioner, as set out in certain provisions under Part III of the CLC. Part 3 amends the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act to authorize payments for specified measures that protect the health and safety of Canadians and support individuals and businesses. Part 3 will be repealed as of 31 December 2020.

    This legislative summary is available as an unedited preliminary version in PDF format only. If the bill receives Royal Assent, this version will be replaced by a final version available in both HTML and PDF formats.

    COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-
    Income security
    Paid sick leaves
    Statutes