Privacy Act Schedule Updated — Institutions

Summary#

This is the Order Amending the Schedule to the Privacy Act (Miscellaneous Program): SOR/2024-185. It updates the list of federal institutions named in the Privacy Act by removing several old entries and adding a single new entry. The order came into force on September 20, 2024.

What it does#

• Removes the following institutions from the schedule under “Other Government Institutions”:
  • Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women
  • Canadian Government Specifications Board
  • Federal-Provincial Relations Office
  • Hamilton Port Authority
  • Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission
  • Office of Privatization and Regulatory Affairs
  • Office of the Comptroller General
  • Oshawa Port Authority
  • Petroleum Compensation Board
  • Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
• Adds one entry under “Other Government Institutions”:
  • Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority
• Comes into force on the day the order was registered: September 20, 2024.

Who's affected#

• People who make privacy or access-to-personal-information requests under the Privacy Act.
• Records managers and privacy officers at the institutions listed above, and at the new Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority.
• Members of the public checking which federal bodies are subject to the Privacy Act.
• It is unclear from the order itself whether the removed entries reflect closures, transfers, name changes, or other administrative moves.

Why it matters#

• The schedule lists which federal bodies must follow the Privacy Act when people ask for their personal information. Changing the list can affect where you send a request and who must respond.
• Replacing separate Hamilton Port Authority and Oshawa Port Authority entries with Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority suggests those ports are now listed as a single institution for privacy purposes.
• The order is an administrative update to the schedule; it does not by itself change the rules of the Privacy Act, but it changes which named organizations are covered.