How a bill becomes law in Canada

From idea to law

In Canada, a federal law begins as a bill: a written proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. To become law, a bill must pass both houses of Parliament, the House of Commons and the Senate, and then receive Royal Assent.

Where bills come from

• Government bills are introduced by Cabinet ministers. They carry out the government’s plans, including the budget, and most laws start this way.
• A private member’s bill is introduced by an MP or senator who is not a minister. These bills are less likely to pass, but some do.

Bills that start in the House of Commons are numbered with a C (such as Bill C-15). Bills that start in the Senate are numbered with an S (such as Bill S-3). Bills about spending or taxes must begin in the House of Commons.

The stages in the House of Commons

The stages in the Senate

The Senate goes through the same steps: first reading, second reading, committee, report and third reading.

• If the Senate passes the bill unchanged, it goes to Royal Assent.
• If the Senate makes amendments (changes), the bill goes back to the House of Commons, which can accept or reject them. The two houses must agree on the same wording.

Royal Assent

When both houses have passed the bill in the same form, it receives Royal Assent from the Governor General, or a deputy, on behalf of the King. The bill becomes an Act of Parliament, a law.

Some laws take effect immediately. Others come into force on a set date, or when the government chooses.

Committees: where details matter

A committee is a small group of MPs or senators who study a bill closely. Committees:

• invite witnesses such as experts, community groups and citizens to testify
• ask hard questions about how the bill will work
• suggest amendments to improve the bill

Citizens can send written briefs to committees or ask to appear as witnesses. This is one of the most direct ways to influence a law.

Example: a law step by step

Imagine a bill to ban single-use plastic straws:

1. The Minister of Environment introduces it (first reading).
2. MPs debate whether a ban is a good idea (second reading).
3. The environment committee hears from scientists, restaurant owners and disability advocates, who explain that some people need flexible straws. The committee amends the bill to allow exceptions.
4. The House approves the amended bill (report stage and third reading).
5. The Senate reviews and passes it.
6. The Governor General gives Royal Assent, and the ban becomes law.

How long does it take?

Some bills pass in days, especially in emergencies. Others take months or years, and some never pass. If Parliament is dissolved for an election, bills that haven’t passed "die on the order paper" and must be started again.

Provinces and territories

Provincial and territorial legislatures follow a similar process, with three readings and committee study, but they have only one chamber, so there is no Senate step. The lieutenant governor gives Royal Assent.

Try it yourself

1. Put the stages in order: committee, Royal Assent, first reading, Senate, third reading, second reading, report stage.
2. Hold a mock Parliament: write a bill, debate it, study it in a "committee," amend it and vote.
3. Look up a recent federal bill on the Parliament of Canada website (LEGISinfo). What stage is it at?
4. Explain why committees are important for democracy.

Quick recap

• A bill is a proposed law; most are government bills.
• Bills go through first, second and third readings plus committee and report stages.
• Both the House of Commons and the Senate must pass a bill in the same form.
• Royal Assent turns a bill into law.
• Citizens can influence bills by contacting MPs and appearing before committees.