Bill S-243 explained in plain English
An Act to establish and maintain a national registry of medical devices
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-243 would establish a national registry of medical devices, maintained by the Department of Health, to track implantable and home-use medical devices and notify users of health and safety risks.
Bill S-243 proposes to create a Medical Devices Registry—a national database managed by the Department of Health. The registry would collect information about implantable medical devices (devices surgically inserted into the body and staying in place for at least 30 days) and prescribed home-use medical devices (devices used at home for health care). Doctors who insert or supply these devices would be required to submit information to the registry, including the patient's name, date of birth, and address (only with the patient's consent), the device details, and information about the manufacturer. Patients would be notified about the registry and asked for their permission to share their personal information. Medical device manufacturers, importers, and distributors would be required to immediately notify the registry if they learn that a device may pose a health or safety risk. The Registrar (a Department of Health employee) would then contact affected users or their doctors to inform them of the risk. Personal information in the registry would be strictly confidential and could only be shared with the patient's written consent. The Registrar would have the ability to destroy registry records according to regulations. Various details would be set through future government regulations.
- Establishes a Medical Devices Registry within the Department of Health, designated a Registrar to manage it
- Requires doctors to submit information to the registry when they insert implantable medical devices or supply home-use medical devices
- Requires doctors to inform patients about the registry and obtain consent before sharing personal information
- Requires manufacturers, importers, and distributors to immediately notify the registry if they become aware a device may pose health or safety risks
- Requires the Registrar to contact users or their doctors without delay when a device may pose health or safety risks
- Protects the confidentiality of patient personal information, which cannot be disclosed without written informed consent
- Allows the Registrar to destroy registry information according to regulations
- Permits electronic filing of notices and documents with the registry
- Allows the Governor in Council to make regulations defining home-use medical devices, prescribing registry information, and establishing exemptions for certain devices
- Patients and users of implantable medical devices (devices surgically inserted into the body and staying for at least 30 days)
- Patients and users of prescribed home-use medical devices (devices used at home for health care purposes)
- Medical practitioners who insert implantable devices or supply home-use medical devices
- Medical device manufacturers
- Medical device importers
- Medical device distributors
- The Department of Health and its Registrar
- Health care facilities where devices are inserted or supplied
- Medical practitioners must submit device information to the registry as soon as possible after inserting or supplying a device
- Medical practitioners must inform patients about the registry and obtain written consent before sharing patient names, dates of birth, and addresses
- Medical practitioners must submit required information in the form prescribed by regulations
- Manufacturers, importers, and distributors must immediately notify the registry if they become aware a device may pose health or safety risks
- The Registrar must notify users or their doctors without delay when a device may pose health or safety risks
- The Registrar must provide users with information necessary to assess risks to their health or safety
- The Registrar must keep patient names, dates of birth, and addresses strictly confidential and may not disclose them without written informed consent
- Patients have the right to be informed of the registry and to consent or refuse to have their personal information shared
- The Act would come into force on a date to be set by order of the Governor in Council, not later than two years after royal assent (Section 13)
- The bill text does not specify penalties for doctors, manufacturers, importers, or distributors who fail to submit information or notify the registry of risks
- The bill text does not specify which home-use medical devices are included; this will be determined by regulations
- The bill text does not specify what other information may be included in the registry; this will be determined by regulations
- The bill text does not specify the timeline for the Registrar to contact users, only that it must be 'without delay'
- The bill text does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance by doctors, manufacturers, importers, or distributors
- The bill text does not specify how long information will be kept in the registry, only that the Registrar may destroy it according to regulations
- The bill text does not specify the form or method by which the Registrar must contact users about risks, only that contact must be made
- The specific regulatory details for submitting information, the exact categories of information, and destruction timelines are not provided in the bill text
Medical device is defined by reference to the Food and Drugs Act definition
Source: Section 2 (Definitions)
The Governor in Council may make regulations defining home-use medical devices, prescribing registry information and forms, establishing destruction procedures for registry records, and exempting certain devices from the Act
Source: Section 12
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
Bill S-243, to establish a national registry of medical devices, completed its first reading in the Senate on October 27, 2009, and was later debated at second reading.
Bill S-243, concerning the creation of a national registry for medical devices, had its first reading in the Senate on October 27, 2009. This is a procedural step where the bill is formally introduced. The bill was later debated at second reading on November 24, 2009.
On October 27, 2009, Bill S-243, concerning a national registry of medical devices, received its first reading in the Senate as part of routine proceedings.
On October 27, 2009, the Senate conducted its first reading of Bill S-243, an Act to establish and maintain a national registry of medical devices. This procedural step involved presenting the bill for the first time in the Senate. The rest of the sitting was occupied with Senators' Statements, tributes to notable individuals, tabling of committee reports, question period addressing various government matters, and continuing debate on other bills. The introduction and first reading of Bill S-243 itself did not involve debate or discussion on its substance during this specific sitting.
On November 24, 2009, the Senate began debating the general principles of Bill S-243, an act to create a national registry of medical devices, but the debate was not completed.
This artifact records the proceedings of the Senate on November 24, 2009, concerning Bill S-243. The bill, titled 'An Act to establish and maintain a national registry of medical devices,' was at the second reading stage, meaning Senators were beginning to debate its general principles. The record notes that the debate was not completed on this date and lists similar bills that were introduced in previous parliamentary sessions. The first reading of Bill S-243 occurred on October 27, 2009.
On November 24, 2009, the Senate held a sitting primarily focused on tributes for Senator John Bryden, with other business including tabling reports, question period, and the adjournment of debate on Bill S-243 (Medical Devices Registry) at its second reading.
During a Senate sitting on November 24, 2009, most of the time was dedicated to tributes honouring Senator John Bryden, who had resigned. The Senate also dealt with routine proceedings, including tabling reports from inter-parliamentary groups and adopting a motion to permit photographic coverage during tributes. Question Period covered various topics, including funding for social programs, poverty data, environmental issues, foreign affairs, and official languages. The 'Orders of the Day' section shows that Bill S-243, concerning a national registry of medical devices, was adjourned for debate at its second reading stage. Other bills and motions were also debated or adjourned. The sitting concluded with Senator Callbeck closing the debate on an inquiry regarding emergency passport services in rural and remote regions.
The Senate adjourned debate on Bill S-243, An Act to establish and maintain a national registry of medical devices, during its second reading stage.
On November 24, 2009, the Senate of Canada was in session. The Senate's Order of the Day included the "Medical Devices Registry Bill" (Bill S-243) for second reading. Debate on this bill was adjourned, meaning it was not completed during this sitting. The provided text includes the transcript of the debate on Bill S-243, where Senator Mac Harb spoke in support of its second reading.
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 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 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