Summary#
This bill changes the Canada Revenue Agency Act to let the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) make deals with provinces and territories to collect and share organ and tissue donor registration information through the federal income tax return, with the filer’s consent. It does not create a national registry; it only enables CRA to pass along information to a province or territory that asks for it and has an agreement in place (Bill, Agreements — organ donors (1); Disclosure (2)).
- Lets CRA add a consent question to the federal tax return to help provinces update their organ/tissue donor registries (Bill, (1)).
- Sharing happens only if the filer authorizes it on their tax return (Bill, (2)).
- Information goes only to the filer’s province or territory of residence and only the information that jurisdiction requires for its registry (Bill, (1)–(2)).
- Provinces and territories must opt in by signing an agreement with CRA; participation is not automatic (Bill, (1)).
- The bill includes no funding; it only provides authority to make agreements and share information (Bill text).
What it means for you#
- Households and tax filers
- If your province or territory signs an agreement, your federal tax return may include a simple choice to register or update your organ/tissue donor status. If you say yes, CRA can send your information to your province to add you to its registry or update your record (Bill, (1)–(2)). Effective date depends on when agreements are signed and forms are updated.
- Participation is voluntary. If you do not authorize sharing on your return, CRA will not disclose your information (Bill, (2)).
- The province or territory decides what specific data are needed for its registry (for example, name, address, date of birth, contact details). CRA can collect and share only that required information, and only with your consent (Bill, (1)–(2)).
- If you do not file a federal income tax return, this process will not affect you. You would continue to use your province’s existing donor sign‑up methods.
- Workers and businesses
- No direct obligations or changes. This is a consumer consent and data‑sharing process tied to personal tax returns.
- Provincial/territorial governments and agencies
- You may choose to enter an agreement with CRA to receive donor registration data collected via federal tax returns. You set the required fields for your registry and remain responsible for maintaining it (Bill, (1)).
- You will need processes to securely receive, match, and confirm records, and to handle any follow‑up with residents, consistent with your privacy and health laws.
- Patients awaiting transplants and health system partners
- If more residents register because it is easier to do so on the tax return, provincial registries may grow. Actual donation still depends on medical suitability and existing provincial processes. Data on expected increases are not specified in the bill.
Expenses#
Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.
- No explicit appropriation or spending authorization in the bill text (Bill text).
- CRA administrative costs to modify forms, systems, and data transfers: Data unavailable.
- Provincial/territorial implementation and ongoing registry costs: Data unavailable.
- No official fiscal note identified: Data unavailable.
Proponents' View#
- Makes registration easier by adding a simple consent step to a form most adults already file each year, which can raise the number of registered donors (Bill, (1)–(2)).
- Protects choice and privacy because sharing occurs only with the filer’s explicit authorization and only to their home province or territory (Bill, (2)).
- Respects provincial control by letting each province or territory define the information it needs to run its registry; CRA only facilitates secure collection and transfer (Bill, (1)).
- Creates a consistent, low‑friction channel across Canada instead of separate, duplicative sign‑up drives in each jurisdiction (Bill, (1)).
- Addresses a documented need: thousands of Canadians await transplants each year, and more registered donors can help provinces identify potential matches faster (non‑partisan context from Canadian Blood Services; specific impact from this bill is not quantified).
Opponents' View#
- Patchy coverage risk: the bill is optional for provinces and territories. If some do not sign agreements, residents there get no benefit (Bill, (1)).
- Broad data scope: the phrase “any information that the province or territory requires” is open‑ended, raising concerns about scope creep unless tightly defined in each agreement (Bill, (1)).
- Consent quality: asking on a tax return may lead to quick decisions without full context about organ and tissue donation, which could reduce the validity of consent compared with health‑system enrollment processes. Data on this effect are unavailable.
- Limited reach: people who do not file taxes, file infrequently, or lack stable addresses may be missed, which could widen gaps in registry coverage. Data on the size of this gap are unavailable.
- Unfunded work: the bill adds tasks for CRA and provinces (system changes, data security, record matching) but provides no dedicated funding, which could delay or limit uptake (Bill text).