Legislative summaries

  1. Legislative Summary of Bill C-93: An Act to Provide No-Cost, Expedited Record Suspensions for Simple Possession of Cannabis

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c93-e.pdf (1.99 MB)
    Bill C-93 amends the Criminal Records Act (CRA) to allow individuals who were convicted for possession of cannabis products before 17 October 2018 to request a record suspension (formerly known as a pardon) without having to wait the usual period of time and without being required to pay a fee. The Minister of Justice published a “Charter Statement” declaring that he has examined the bill and has not identified any potential effects on the rights and freedoms protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter).

    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.

    Cannabis
    Criminal records
    Legalization
    Possession of a controlled substance
    Record suspension
    Statutes

  2. Legislative Summary of Bill S-240: An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (trafficking in human organs)

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    This bill amends the Criminal Code to create new offences in relation to trafficking in human organs. It also amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada if the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is of the opinion that they have engaged in any activities relating to trafficking in human organs.

    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.

    Criminal law
    Immigration
    Organ trafficking
    Statutes

  3. Legislative Summary of Bill C-56: An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Abolition of Early Parole Act

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c56-e.pdf (1.99 MB)
    Bill C 56 amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) to establish an initial presumptive limit of 20 days for offenders to be confined in administrative segregation, which will be reduced to 14 days after 18 months of application of this new regime; prescribe independent external reviews of the cases of offenders held in administrative segregation beyond the presumptive limit and of those who have been in administrative segregation at least three times or for 90 cumulative days in the last calendar year; reintroduce the principle of “least restrictive” measures in certain provisions of the CCRA; and reinstate an offender’s right to an oral hearing by the Parole Board of Canada following a suspension, termination or revocation of parole or statutory release.

    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.

    Human rights
    Imprisonment
    Parole
    Regulations
    Solitary confinement
    Statutes
    Statutory release

  4. Legislative Summary of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c65-e.pdf (1.2 MB)
    Bill C 65 modifies the existing framework under the Canada Labour Code (Code) for the prevention of harassment and violence, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, in workplaces under federal jurisdiction (these workplaces are defined in section 1.2.1.1 of this Legislative Summary). It also amends the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act (PESRA) in order to expand these protections to parliamentary workplaces, “[without] limiting in any way the powers, privileges and immunities of the Senate and the House of Commons and their members.

    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.

    Public service
    Statutes
    Working conditions
    Workplace harassment
    Workplace violence

  5. Legislative Summary of Bill C-87: An Act respecting the reduction of poverty

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c87-e.pdf (489.59 KB)
    The bill enacts the Poverty Reduction Act (the Act), which provides targets for poverty reduction to be achieved by 2020 and by 2030, sets out Canada’s Official Poverty Line and other metrics to measure poverty, and establishes the National Advisory Council on Poverty.

    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.

    Bills
    Poverty
    Social policy

  6. Legislative Summary of Bill C-88: An Act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c88-e.pdf (517.96 KB)
    Amends the MVRMA to repeal the not in force provisions that restructured the land and water board system in the Mackenzie Valley, and brings into force the 2014 amendments regarding issuing enforceable development certificates, introducing cost recovery and administrative monetary penalty schemes, and establishing a committee to conduct regional studies to examine the effects of existing or future development on a regional basis.

    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.

    Crown land
    Environmental management
    Gas industry
    Northern Canada
    Northwest Territories
    Petroleum industry

  7. Legislative Summary of Bill C-76: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and other Acts and to make certain consequential amendments

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    42-1-c76-e.pdf (2.07 MB)
    This bill amends the Canada Elections Act to establish spending limits for third parties and political parties during a defined period before the election period of a general election held on a day fixed under that Act. It establishes measures to increase transparency regarding the participation of third parties in the electoral process. It amends the Act to implement measures to reduce barriers to participation and increase accessibility; modernize voting services, facilitate enforcement and improve various aspects of the administration of elections and of political financing; and provide for certain requirements with regard to the protection of personal information for registered parties, eligible parties and political parties that are applying to become registered parties, including the obligation for the party to adopt a policy for the protection of personal information and to publish it on its Internet site. It also amends the Parliament of Canada Act to prevent the calling of a by-election when a vacancy in the House of Commons occurs within nine months before the day fixed for a general election under the Canada Elections Act. It also amends the Public Service Employment Act to clarify that the maximum period of employment of casual workers in the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer?—?165 working days in one calendar year?—?applies to those who are appointed by the Commissioner of Canada Elections. Finally, it contains transitional provisions, makes consequential amendments to other Acts and repeals the Special Voting Rules.

    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.

    Chief Electoral Officer
    Election expenses
    Election officers
    Electoral candidates
    Legislative reforms
    Personal data
    Political advertising
    Political campaigns
    Privacy
    Registration of parties
    Statutes
    Voting

  8. Legislative Summary of Bill C-84: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (bestiality and animal fighting)

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c84-e.pdf (1.93 MB)
    Bill C-84 amends the Code to define “bestiality” and adds new animal prohibition and restitution court order provisions.

    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.

    Animal rights
    Animal welfare
    Bestiality
    Criminal law
    Cruelty to animals
    Statutes

  9. Legislative Summary of Bill C-86: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018 and other measures

    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c86-e.pdf (1.11 MB)
    The purpose of the bill is to implement the government's overall budget policy, introduced in the House of Commons on 27 February 2018. Consistent with established legislative practice, this is the second implementation bill for Budget 2018. Bill C 74, the first such implementation bill, was passed on 21 June 2018. Bill C 86 is divided into four parts. Part 1 implements income tax and related measures concerning such subjects as non resident corporations, cross border surpluses, foreign income and the disclosure of tax information. Part 1 also amends the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. Parts 2 and 3 implement, respectively, certain Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) measures and certain excise measures. Part 4, which is subdivided into 23 divisions, implements various measures by enacting several Acts, including the following: the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act (Division 9); the Pay Equity Act (Division 14), and the Department for Women and Gender Equality Act (Division 18). Part 4 also implements measures by amending several Acts, including the following: the Bank Act (divisions 3 and 10); the Canadian Business Corporations Act (Division 6); the Copyright Act (Subdivisions C and H of Division 7); the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Division 22); and the Marine Liability Act (Divisions 23).

    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.

    Excise taxes
    Federal budget
    Federal taxes
    Income taxes
    Sales taxes
    Statutes
    Tariffs

  10. Legislative Summary of Bill C-81: An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    42-1
    c81-e.pdf (676.18 KB)
    The bill enacts the Accessible Canada Act, with the stated objective of enhancing the “full and equal” participation of all individuals (especially those living with disabilities) in society, through the identification, removal and prevention of barriers in areas under federal jurisdiction. The bill also makes related amendments to a number of other Acts: the Canadian Radio television and Telecommunications Commission Act; the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA); the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act (PESRA); the Broadcasting Act; the Telecommunications Act; the Canada Transportation Act (CTA); the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act (FPSLRA); and the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA).

    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.

    Equality rights
    Persons with disabilities
    Statutes
    Universal accessibility