Royal Assent for Wood-Use and Sex-Offender Bills

Summary#

This Canada Gazette entry records a parliamentary update and lists two bills that received royal assent on October 26, 2023. The two bills became Acts: one about the federal government's use of wood in public works and one changing parts of the criminal justice regime related to sex-offender registration and international transfers.

What it does#

• Notes that Standing Order 130 (about notices of intended private bills) is referenced and provides a contact for the Private Members’ Business Office.
• Records that, by written declaration, royal assent was given on October 26, 2023, to:
  • An Act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act (use of wood) (Bill S-222, chapter 27, 2023) — this changes the law that governs how the federal department deals with the use of wood.
  • An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act (Bill S-12, chapter 28, 2023) — this changes parts of the Criminal Code and two related Acts dealing with sex-offender registration and the international transfer of offenders.

Who's affected#

• Builders, suppliers, and communities involved in federal construction projects and anyone with an interest in how government procurement treats the use of wood.
• People subject to sex-offender registration, their victims, and the agencies that manage offender registration and transfers.
• Members and staff of Parliament who track private bills and procedural notices (via the Private Members’ Business Office).
• If it’s unclear exactly how broad the effects will be, the Gazette notice does not give detailed provisions, so the precise reach of the changes is not spelled out here.

Why it matters#

• When a bill receives royal assent it becomes law; these changes are now in force as of October 26, 2023 (subject to any dates inside the Acts themselves).
• The wood-use amendment could influence what materials the federal government buys or allows on federal projects, which matters to the construction and forestry sectors.
• The criminal-law and registration amendments affect how certain offences and offender transfers are handled, which can have consequences for public safety, offender management, and people directly involved in those cases.