Bill S-216 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act and the Auditor General Act (involvement of Parliament)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-216 amends the Federal Sustainable Development Act and the Auditor General Act to enhance parliamentary involvement in sustainable development strategies and reporting.
This bill proposes amendments to the Federal Sustainable Development Act and the Auditor General Act. The changes aim to increase the involvement of both the Senate and the House of Commons in matters of sustainable development. This includes ensuring that sustainable development strategies and reports are presented to Parliament and that parliamentary committees are involved in their review. The bill also modifies the reporting requirements for the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development and clarifies the role of the Auditor General in monitoring progress towards sustainable development.
- It amends the Federal Sustainable Development Act to require the Minister to table the federal sustainable development strategy in both Houses of Parliament.
- It mandates that sustainable development strategies of departments and agencies be laid before both Houses of Parliament.
- It changes the reporting requirements for the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development under the Auditor General Act.
- It ensures that reports from the Commissioner are tabled in both Houses of Parliament.
- Federal government departments and agencies
- The Minister responsible for the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
- The Office of the Auditor General of Canada, specifically the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
- Members of the Senate and the House of Commons
- Parliamentary committees
- Ministers must cause their departments or agencies to prepare and table sustainable development strategies in both Houses of Parliament within one year of the federal strategy being tabled.
- Ministers must update departmental or agency sustainable development strategies at least every three years and table them in both Houses of Parliament.
- The Minister must provide reports on the progress of the federal government in implementing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Minister, who then tables them in Parliament.
- The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development must report annually to Parliament on sustainable development progress.
- The bill states that the Auditor General Act reporting requirements come into force three years after the Act comes into force.
- Departmental strategies must be tabled within one year after the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy is first tabled in Parliament.
- Updated strategies must be tabled within 15 days of sitting after the update.
- Reports from the Commissioner must be laid before Parliament within 15 days of sitting after receipt by the Speaker.
- The bill does not specify the exact composition or mandate of 'the appropriate committee of each House of Parliament' that would review the draft strategy.
- The bill does not detail the consequences if a Minister fails to table a strategy or report as required.
- The bill refers to 'category I departments' in the Auditor General Act without defining this term within the provided text.
Changes reporting and tabling requirements for sustainable development strategies to increase parliamentary involvement.
Source: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4
Modifies the role and reporting duties of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development regarding sustainable development, including tabling reports in Parliament.
Source: Sections 5, 6
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Introduction and first reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Sponsor’s speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced