Legislative summaries

  1. Legislative Summary of Bill C-355: An Act to prohibit the export by air of horses for slaughter and to make related amendments to certain Acts

    Legislative Summary
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    44-1-c355-e.pdf (634.49 KB)
    The aim of Bill C-355 is to prohibit the export of live horses by air from Canada to other countries where horses are slaughtered or fattened for slaughter, then used for human consumption. While the Health of Animals Act provides the Governor in Council with the authority to make regulations for the humane treatment of animals, including transportation within, into or out of Canada, Bill C-355 creates stand-alone legislation specific to banning the practice of exporting horses for slaughter.

    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.

    Air transport
    Animal welfare
    Exports
    Horses
    Slaughtering

  2. Legislative Summary of Bill C-49: An Act to amend the Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
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    44-1-c49-e.pdf (911.63 KB)
    This bill expands the mandates of the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and sets the legislative framework for offshore renewable energy activities. The Accord Acts, as currently written, implement bilateral agreements between the governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia to jointly regulate oil and gas activities in their respective provincial offshore areas. The bill also expands the mandates of the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board to provide for the regulation of offshore renewable energy projects, such as offshore wind projects.

    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.

    Federal provincial agreements
    Newfoundland and Labrador
    Nova Scotia
    Petroleum industry
    Regulations
    Renewable energy
    Wind energy

  3. Legislative Summary of Bill C-62: An Act to amend An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2

    Legislative Summary
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    44-1-c62-e.pdf (730.82 KB)
    Bill C-62 pushes back the date of eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAID) based solely on mental illness from 17 March 2024 to 17 March 2027. The bill also requires a joint committee of the House of Commons and the Senate to undertake a comprehensive review relating to eligibility on this basis within two years of the date of Royal Assent.

    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.

    Medical assistance in dying
    Mental health

  4. Legislative Summary of Bill C-71: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2024)

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
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    pv_44-1-c71-e.pdf (619.09 KB)
    The bill amends the Citizenship Act to, among other things: establish a new, expanded citizenship framework for individuals born abroad to (or born abroad and adopted by) a Canadian citizen, including beyond the first generation; restore citizenship to persons who failed to make an application to retain their citizenship under former section 8 of the Citizenship Act (conforming to which some individuals lost citizenship at the age of 28), or whose application under that section was not approved, before its repeal in 2009; and provide for a simplified citizenship renunciation process for those who would become citizens as a result of the bill.

    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.

    Adoption
    Citizenship
    Law
    Legislation
    Loss of citizenship
    Renunciation of citizenship

  5. Legislative Summary of Bill C-58: An Act to Amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012

    Legislative Summary
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    44-1-c58-e.pdf (695.3 KB)
    This bill amends Part I of the Canada Labour Code (CLC) to, among other things, revise the scope of the prohibition relating to the use of replacement workers during a legal strike or lockout and modify the maintenance of activities process to encourage employers and trade unions to enter into agreements relating to the activities that must be continued during a legal strike or lockout. The bill also makes consequential amendments to the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012 (CIRB 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.

  6. Legislative Summary of Bill C-69: An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024

    Legislative Summary
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    44-1-c69-e.pdf (983.79 KB)
    This bill has four parts: Part 1 implements various income tax measures through amendments to the Income Tax Act and related statutes and regulations, including increasing the home buyers’ plan withdrawal limit and deferring the repayment period, creating the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, and providing a refundable investment tax credit to qualified businesses for certain investments in clean technology manufacturing property (clauses 2 to 80). Part 2 enacts the Global Minimum Tax Act, which is a regime based on the rules of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, that ensures that large multinational corporations are subject to a minimum effective tax rate of 15% on their profits wherever they do business (clauses 81 to 111). Part 3 repeals the temporary relief for supplies of certain face masks, respirators and shields from the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax, and implements certain measures regarding excise duty in respect of tobacco and vaping products, beer, spirits and wine. It also implements certain changes to the Underused Housing Tax (clauses 112 to 148). Part 4, which is divided into 44 divisions, implements various measures. It amends numerous existing Acts that cover many areas of law. It also enacts the Consumer-Driven Banking Act (clauses 149 to 468).This Legislative Summary provides a brief description of the main measures proposed in the bill.

    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.

    Canada
    Corporate income taxes
    Federal budget
    Goods and services tax
    Harmonized sales tax
    Personal income taxes
    Tax expenditures

  7. Legislative Summary of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act

    Legislative Summary
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    pv_44-1-c65-e.pdf (647.81 KB)
    The bill amends the Canada Elections Act (CEA) to accomplish several distinct legislative objectives, including: providing for two additional days of advance polling; moving the next fixed election date; regulating voting at long-term care institutions; updating the process for voting by mail (special ballot); regulating voting at post-secondary educational institutions; amending the requirements relating to political parties’ policies for the protection of personal information; amending or creating new prohibitions pertaining to the electoral process; amending the regime applicable to third-party financing; granting new powers to the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE); and requiring the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to report to Parliament on potential changes to the electoral process.

    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.

    Advance polls
    Ballots
    Canada
    Election expenses
    Elections
    Electoral candidates
    Electoral system
    Legislation
    Special ballots
    Voting

  8. Legislative Summary of Bill C-66: An Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts

    Legislative Summary
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    pv_44-1-c66-e.pdf (578.17 KB)
    This bill amends certain provisions of the National Defence Act (NDA) that relate to the military justice system. Among other changes, it removes the jurisdiction of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to investigate and prosecute sexual offences under the Criminal Code. In addition, the bill removes military judges from summary hearings, expands the eligibility criteria to be appointed as a military judge and modifies the process for appointing the three main military legal authorities: the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal (CFPM), the Director of Military Prosecutions (DMP), and the Director of Defence Counsel Services (DDCS). Some of the amendments to the NDA seek to implement the recommendations made by former Supreme Court Justice Morris J. Fish in his independent review of certain provisions of the NDA and by former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour in her independent external review of sexual misconduct and harassment in the CAF.

    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.

    Administration of justice
    Armed forces
    Canada
    Judges
    Jurisdiction
    Legislation
    Military court system
    Military offences
    Military police
    Military tribunals
    Sexual harassment
    Sexual offences

  9. Legislative Summary of Bill C-35: An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

    Legislative Summary
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    44-1-c35-e.pdf (742.1 KB)
    This bill sets out the Government of Canada’s vision for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. It also sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintaining long-term funding relating to early learning and child care to be provided to the provinces and Indigenous peoples. Finally, it creates the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care.

    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.

    Child care
    Children
    Indigenous peoples
    Legislation
    Pre-school education
    Public funding

  10. Legislative Summary of Bill C-63, An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
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    pv_44-1-c63-e.pdf (721.22 KB)
    This bill has four parts. In Part 1, Bill C-63 establishes the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, the position of the Digital Safety Ombudsperson of Canada and the Digital Safety Office of Canada. It provides a mandate for the Commission and the Ombudsperson to ensure the protection of the public from harmful content published on social media and to ensure that operators of this type of service have a duty with regard to content. Part 2 creates a new hate crime offence in the Criminal Code, introducing a legislative definition of “hatred” in the Code and increasing the maximum sentences for the hate propaganda offences. Part 3 of Bill C-63 introduces a legislative definition of hate speech in the Canadian Human Rights Act. This Act is also amended in order to reintroduce a transformed version of former section 13, seeking to give victims of hate speech civil remedy through the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Part 4 amends the Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service to clarify the services in scope, provide that notifications be sent to a designated law enforcement body, require that transmission data be reported, and extend the period of preservation of data as well as the limitation period for prosecution.

    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.

    Child pornography
    Computer crime
    Cyberbullying
    Hate crimes
    Hate propaganda
    Internet service providers
    Legislation
    Nonconsensual distribution of intimate images
    Sexual exploitation
    Social media