Legislative summaries

  1. Legislative Summary of Bill C-50: An Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c50-e.pdf (733.42 KB)
    This bill: introduces guiding principles for an equitable and inclusive future by supporting the creation of sustainable jobs while addressing climate action and energy security; requires the Governor in Council to designate both a minister responsible for the Act and specified ministers whose portfolios include sustainable jobs measures and actions; creates a sustainable jobs partnership council responsible for engaging with Canadians and advising government in order to establish a mechanism that will contribute to Canada’s sustainable jobs approach; requires the government to publish an action plan for sustainable jobs every five years; establishes a sustainable jobs secretariat to help implement the proposed Act; and requires the government to review the proposed Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act every 10 years.

    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.

    Employment and labour
    Climate change
    Legislation
    Sustainable development

  2. Legislative Summary of Bill S-242: An Act to amend the Radiocommunication Act

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-s242-e.pdf (649.92 KB)
    The bill amends the Radiocommunication Act to add a condition to licences on the deployment of radio frequency spectrum. Licence holders must meet two criteria to satisfy that condition: they must, within three years after a licence issued, deploy the spectrum to at least 50% of the population covered by the licence, and they must do so while providing service to at least 50% of the population within any Tier 5 service area – the smallest service area tier – located within the geographic area covered by the licence. The Senate committee amended the bill to add this second criterion. The bill also provides measures enabling the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry to strip a spectrum licence from a holder who does not satisfy the new condition.

    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
    Licences
    Radio
    Rural communities

  3. Legislative Summary of Bill C-42: An Act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c42-e.pdf (662.45 KB)
    This bill strengthens the government’s commitment to the implementation of a publicly accessible beneficial ownership registry of corporations governed under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) in furtherance of its efforts to bolster Canada’s anti–money laundering and anti–terrorist financing regime. In addition to modifying the CBCA, the bill makes amendments to the Access to Information Act, the Income Tax Act, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, and the Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1.

    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.

    Corporations
    Money laundering
    Public registries
    Terrorism offences

  4. Legislative Summary of Bill S-13: An Act to amend the Interpretation Act and to make related amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    pv_44-1-s13-e.pdf (546.51 KB)
    This bill amends the federal Interpretation Act to include a non-derogation clause on upholding Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. A non-derogation clause is a statement in a law that indicates the law should be interpreted to uphold, and not diminish, other pre-existing rights. Bill S-13 aims to ensure that all federal legislation is interpreted to uphold constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights.

    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
    Constitution Act, 1982
    Indigenous peoples

  5. Legislative Summary of Bill S-233: An Act to Develop a National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    pv_44-1-s233-e.pdf (473.55 KB)
    Discussions on basic income in Canada have largely focused on three potential models: a negative income tax, which involves using the income tax system to make payments to individuals and/or households with income below a predetermined level; a universal basic income, which involves providing an annual grant to all adults regardless of personal circumstances; and a hybrid model, which combines elements of the first two to establish an income floor. Key issues that have been discussed surrounding the implementation of a national basic income include jurisdictional considerations (for example, the requirement for collaboration between different levels of government, and the involvement of Indigenous peoples and governments); design (for example, eligibility criteria for a basic income, conditions for its receipt, and to what extent it would replace existing programs); and costing (which can vary dramatically based on the program’s design).

    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.

    Basic income programs
    Poverty

  6. Legislative Summary of Bill C-228: An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c228-e.pdf (711.95 KB)
    This bill amends the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) to ensure that claims in relation to shortfalls in defined-benefit pension plans are paid in priority in the event that an employer becomes insolvent. It also amends the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 (PBSA) to provide for the tabling of an annual report regarding the solvency of pension plans regulated under that statute.

    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.

    Bankruptcy
    Pensions

  7. Legislative Summary of Bill C-37: An Act to amend the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Employment Insurance Board of Appeal)

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c37-e.pdf (807.84 KB)
    This bill amends Part 5 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act (DESDA) to, among other aspects, establish the Employment Insurance (EI) Board of Appeal and make consequential adjustments to the Social Security Tribunal (the Tribunal). The new EI Board of Appeal will become responsible for hearing first-level EI appeals, namely, appeals of decisions made by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) regarding a reconsideration of an EI claim decision. These first-level EI appeals are currently heard by the EI Section of the Tribunal’s General Division. Bill C-37 also eliminates the requirement for leave (i.e., permission) to appeal decisions related to EI matters to the Tribunal’s Appeal Division.

    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.

    Administrative law
    Federal administrative tribunals
    Statutes

  8. Legislative Summary of Bill C-22: An act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities by establishing the Canada disability benefit and making a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c22-e.pdf (725.51 KB)
    This bill establishes the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) with the stated purposes of reducing poverty and supporting the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities. It also sets out general provisions for administering the CDB and grants regulation-making powers to the Governor in Council with respect to most of the CDB’s design elements.

    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.

    Allowances
    Equity, diversity and inclusion
    Persons with disabilities
    Poverty

  9. Legislative Summary of Bill S-11: Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 4

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    pv_44-1-s11-e.pdf (881.09 KB)
    This is the fourth bill introduced by the government in the course of the harmonization project undertaken by the Department of Justice Canada (Department of Justice) as a result of the coming into force of the Civil Code of Québec (CCQ) in 1994. The other Acts, Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 1, Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 2 and Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3, came into force in 2001, 2004 and 2011, respectively. Bills to harmonize federal law are generally passed in a consensus-finding, cross-party fashion and are not controversial because they do not, in principle, seek to change the “legislative direction, substance or very foundation” of a bill. However, they are highly technical and require a thorough analysis of existing laws.

    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.

    Civil law
    Common law
    Comparative law
    Legislation

  10. Legislative Summary of Bill S-223: An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (trafficking in human organs)

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-s223-e.pdf (659.85 KB)
    This bill creates specific offences in the Criminal Code (the Code) that cover trafficking in human organs, including what is known as “transplant tourism.” It also amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to make inadmissible to Canada permanent residents or foreign nationals who, in the opinion of the appropriate minister, have engaged in any activity related 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
    Inadmissibility
    Legislation
    Organ trafficking