Several federal bills receive Royal Assent

Summary#

This Canada Gazette item (House of Commons section) records that a number of federal bills received Royal Assent in June 2023 and lists a note about private-bill notices. It names the bills that were signified as assented on June 19, 2023 (notified June 20, 2023) and June 22, 2023 (notified June 22, 2023).

What it does#

• Notes that Standing Order 130 (about notices of intended applications for private bills) was published previously and gives a contact for the Private Members’ Business Office.
• Records that Royal Assent was signified by Her Excellency the Governor General on June 19, 2023 and that the written declaration was notified to both Houses on June 20, 2023. Bills listed as assented that day include:
  • An Act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month (Bill S-246, chapter 13, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C-41, chapter 14, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts (Bill C-13, chapter 15, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts, and to make a clarification relating to another Act (Bill C-45, chapter 16, 2023)
• Records that Royal Assent was signified by Her Excellency the Governor General on June 22, 2023 and notified to both Houses that same day. Bills listed as assented that day include:
  • 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 (Bill C-22, chapter 17, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Judges Act (Bill C-9, chapter 18, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Bill S-8, chapter 19, 2023)
  • An Act to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting (Bill C-224, chapter 20, 2023)
  • An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents) (Bill C-242, chapter 21, 2023)
  • An Act to give effect to the self-government treaty recognizing the Whitecap Dakota Nation / Wapaha Ska Dakota Oyate and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C-51, chapter 22, 2023)
  • An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada (Bill C-18, chapter 23, 2023)
  • An Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 (Bill C-54, chapter 24, 2023)
  • An Act for granting to His Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 (Bill C-55, chapter 25, 2023)
  • An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 28, 2023 (Bill C-47, chapter 26, 2023)
• The Gazette entry gives the official record of assent and the chapter numbers for each act. It does not, in this item, spell out implementation or effective dates beyond the assent and notification dates.

Who's affected#

• People with disabilities and low-income households (by Bill C-22, the Canada disability benefit).
• People working in or representing federally regulated private businesses and French-language advocates (by Bill C-13 and the Use of French law).
• Firefighters and related health services (by Bill C-224, the firefighting cancers framework).
• Immigrants and families seeking parent/grandparent temporary visas (by Bill C-242 and Bill S-8).
• Indigenous communities involved in fiscal management and self-government (by Bill C-45 and Bill C-51, including Whitecap Dakota Nation / Wapaha Ska Dakota Oyate).
• News organizations and online platforms that share news content in Canada (by Bill C-18).
• The federal public service and government spending plans (by the appropriation acts Bill C-54 and Bill C-55, and budget implementation Bill C-47).
• Judges and the justice system (by Bill C-9) and anyone affected by Criminal Code changes (Bill C-41).
• For some items, the Gazette notice does not say exactly when new rules will start or how they will be rolled out; affected groups may need to check the individual Acts or government announcements for details.

Why it matters#

• Royal Assent is the final formal step that turns a passed bill into an Act; this notice records that step for several laws that change benefits, immigration rules, language rules, Indigenous arrangements, media regulation, and government spending.
• If you are in one of the groups listed above, these Acts could change your rights, access to benefits, how businesses operate, or how federal programs are funded.
• The Gazette entry is an official record, but it does not replace the text of each Act or later regulations and guidance that explain how the changes will work in practice. If you want to know when a law actually starts or how it will affect you day to day, check the individual Act or follow up with the responsible department.