Royal Assent for Multiple Federal Acts

Summary#

On April 27, 2023 and May 11, 2023, written declarations of Royal Assent were recorded for a group of bills in the House of Commons. Several bills listed in the notice became Acts, including laws on language recognition, forced labour in supply chains, broadcasting, insolvency rules, intimate-partner violence, and a national food day.

What it does#

• Gives Royal Assent (formal parliamentary approval) to several bills on the dates April 27, 2023 and May 11, 2023.
• Approves An Act to establish International Mother Language Day (Bill S‑214).
• Approves An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 (Bill C‑228).
• Approves An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner) (Bill C‑233).
• Approves An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (Bill C‑11).
• Approves An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff (Bill S‑211).
• Approves An Act to establish Food Day in Canada (Bill S‑227).
• Approves An Act to amend the Federal‑Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and the Income Tax Act (Bill C‑46).

Who's affected#

• Cultural and language communities by An Act to establish International Mother Language Day.
• Businesses, creditors, and pension plan stakeholders by the insolvency and corporate amendments in Bill C‑228.
• Survivors of intimate-partner violence, the justice system, and courts by Bill C‑233.
• Broadcasters, online content platforms, and media audiences by Bill C‑11.
• Importers, suppliers, and companies with international supply chains (and potentially consumers) by Bill S‑211 addressing forced and child labour in supply chains and changes to the Customs Tariff.
• Food producers, retailers, and the public by Bill S‑227 creating Food Day.
• Provincial governments and taxpayers by the fiscal and tax amendments in Bill C‑46.
• If it is unclear who will be affected in a particular case, the notice itself does not give implementation details or timelines.

Why it matters#

• These acts change national rules on several everyday and systemic issues: media rules, business restructuring and pensions, criminal protections, and how Canada deals with forced labour in imports.
• Some changes could directly affect costs, compliance steps, or services for businesses and public institutions. For example, changes tied to the Customs Tariff and supply-chain rules likely matter to companies that import goods.
• Other items are symbolic or commemorative, like establishing International Mother Language Day and Food Day, which matter mainly for recognition and public events.
• The Gazette notice records that Royal Assent was given on the listed dates, but it does not give detailed implementation dates or explain specific new obligations.