Legislative summaries

  1. Legislative Summary of Bill C-32: An Act to implement certain provisions of the fall economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 3, 2022, and certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c32-e.pdf (684.71 KB)
    This bill has four parts. Part 1 implements certain income tax measures, such as introducing the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account, the Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax credit and the Canada Recovery Dividend. Part 2 implements changes to the federal excise duty frameworks for cannabis vaping products and other products. Part 3 amends the Underused Housing Tax Act to make technical and housekeeping amendments, as well as make regulations under the Act to notably implement an exception for vacation properties. Part 4 implements a range of measures. Division 1 authorizes the Minister of Finance to requisition amounts from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to acquire non-voting shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Canada Development Investment Corporation, which is responsible for administering the Canada Growth Fund. Division 2 amends the Bretton Woods and Related Agreements Act to increase the maximum financial assistance that may be provided in respect of foreign states. Division 3 enacts the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act and repeals the First Nations Land Management Act. Division 4 amends the Government Employees Compensation Act to fulfil Canada’s obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America concerning Cooperation on the Civil Lunar Gateway; Division 5 amends the Canada Student Loans Act, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act and the Apprentice Loans Act to eliminate the accrual of interest on loans.

    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
    Income taxes
    Law
    Tax credits

  2. Legislative Summary of Bill S-206: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (disclosure of information by jurors)

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-s206-e.pdf (867.43 KB)
    This bill amends the Criminal Code to provide that the prohibition against the disclosure of information relating to jury proceedings does not apply, in certain circumstances, in respect of disclosure by jurors to health care professionals.

    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.

    Classified information
    Decriminalization
    Jury
    Offences
    Psychotherapy

  3. Legislative Summary of Bill C-2: An Act to provide further support in response to COVID-19

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c2-e.pdf (962.63 KB)
    Part 1 amends the Income Tax Act (ITA) and Income Tax Regulations (ITR) to extend subsidies under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) and Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) until 7 May 2022. Part 1 also restricts eligibility for these benefits. Part 2 enacts the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit Act (CWLBA), which authorizes the payment of a new temporary benefit to individuals whose ability to earn income is affected by a lockdown order. In addition, Part 2 makes consequential amendments to the ITA and ITR. Part 3 amends the Canada Recovery Benefits Act (CRBA) to extend the eligibility period for the Canada recovery sickness benefit (CRSB) and Canada recovery caregiving benefit (CRCB) to 7 May 2022 and to extend the duration of both benefits, among other things. It also makes a related amendment to the Canada Recovery Benefits Regulations. Part 3.1 sets out the requirement for a performance audit of benefits paid under the CWLBA, CRBA, Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and CEWS to be conducted by the Auditor General of Canada. It also requires that a report on this review be submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons, who will table the report in the House. Part 4 amends the Canada Labour Code 7 (CLC) to increase the number of weeks of leave entitlement for federally regulated employees who are unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19, among other things. This leave is to be in place until 7 May 2022, when it is to be repealed along with other related provisions. Part 4 also makes related and coordinating amendments to the Budget Implementation Act, 2021, 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.

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

  4. Legislative Summary of Bill C-23: An Act respecting places, persons and events of national historic significance or national interest, archaeological resources and cultural and natural heritage

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c23-e.pdf (878.18 KB)
    Bill C-23 strengthens and expands the protection and designation of federally owned historic sites in Canada. Bill C-23 enacts the Historic Places of Canada Act (HPCA), which replaces the Historic Sites and Monuments Act (HSMA) – the Act currently providing for the protection of historic sites. The HPCA is under the authority of Parks Canada, and the minister responsible for that agency is the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. A significant portion of Bill C-23 is dedicated to codifying conventional protections and programs. Bill C-23 also provides enforcement mechanisms and penalties. Fines under the HPCA are collected in a fund dedicated to heritage conservation. Bill C-23 also aims to support further reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada by implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 79(i).

    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.

    Cultural heritage
    Historic sites

  5. Legislative Summary of Bill C-31: An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c31-e.pdf (948.23 KB)
    This bill has three parts. Part 1 enacts the Dental Benefit Act, which provides for the establishment of an application-based interim dental benefit. The benefit provides interim direct financial support for parents for dental care services received by their children under 12 years of age in the period starting in October 2022 and ending in June 2024. Part 2 enacts the Rental Housing Benefit Act, which provides for the establishment of a one-time rental housing benefit for eligible persons who have paid rent in 2022 for their principal residence and who apply for the benefit. Finally, Part 3 makes related amendments to the Income Tax Act, the Excise Tax Act and the Excise Act, 2001.

    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
    Housing
    Minors
    Statutes

  6. Legislative Summary of Bill S-245: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (granting citizenship to certain Canadians)

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-s245-e.pdf (788.22 KB)
    This bill grants citizenship to a group of “Lost Canadians,” persons born abroad to a Canadian parent between 15 February 1977 and 16 April 1981. These individuals would have been Canadian citizens by descent, but they may have been unaware of the requirement to apply to retain their citizenship before they reached 28 years of age. Amendments to the Citizenship Act that came into force 17 April 2009 eliminated the retention rules under former section 8 of the Act and grandfathered in anyone born abroad to a Canadian parent who had not yet reached the age of 28.

    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.

    Citizenship
    Statutes

  7. Legislative Summary of Bill C-18: An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c18-e.pdf (909.35 KB)
    The purpose of this bill is to rebalance the power dynamics in the digital news marketplace in order to ensure fair compensation for Canadian media outlets and journalists. It creates a new legislative and regulatory framework to enable digital businesses to negotiate agreements with Canadian media to authorize them to disseminate Canadian media content on their platforms. The bill sets up a process that enables smaller media outlets to bargain collectively.

    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.

    Canadian content
    Contracting
    Cultural expressions
    Digital economy
    Journalism

  8. Legislative Summary of Bill C-26: An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts

    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c26-e.pdf (930.95 KB)
    This proposed legislation amends the Telecommunications Act and creates a new law, the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act (“CCSPA”). The Telecommunications Act amendments empower the Governor in Council and the Minister of Industry to order Canadian telecommunications providers to undertake actions to secure the Canadian telecommunications system against a range of threats. These amendments follow the government’s announcement that it intends to use these powers to prohibit the use of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunications systems, particularly in 5G wireless networks.

    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.

    Internet security
    Statutes
    Telecommunications policy
    Wireless telecommunications

  9. Legislative Summary of Bill S-7: An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Preclearance Act, 2016

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-s7-e.pdf (878.39 KB)
    The bill amends the Customs Act and the Preclearance Act, 2016, to set standards for the examination of documents by a Canada Border Services Agency customs officer, or a preclearance officer in the course of preclearing travellers bound for the United States, stored on a personal digital device. Specifically, it sets out the circumstances in which such an examination may be conducted and provides for regulations to be made in this regard.

    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.

    Border security
    Canada Border Services Agency
    Data protection
    Laptop computers
    Legislation
    Smartphones
    Tablet computers

  10. Legislative Summary of Bill C-20: An Act establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission and amending certain Acts and statutory instruments

    (Revised)
    Legislative Summary
    44-1
    44-1-c20-e.pdf (952.83 KB)
    This bill establishes the independent Public Complaints and Review Commission (PCRC) to review and investigate complaints against Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) personnel. The PCRC replaces the existing Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), which reviews complaints against the RCMP. There is currently no oversight authority responsible for reviewing complaints against the CBSA.

    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 Border Services Agency
    Complaint management
    Federal administrative tribunals
    Law
    Legislation
    Royal Canadian Mounted Police