Bill S-210 explained in plain English

Bill S-210 amends two federal laws to require that Parliament—both the Senate and House of Commons—receive and review reports on sustainable development progress and strategies from federal government departments and agencies.

Bill S-210, which received royal assent on December 15, 2010, changes how the federal government reports on sustainable development to Parliament. The bill makes two main changes: First, it updates the Federal Sustainable Development Act to ensure Parliament plays a full role in reviewing the government's sustainable development work. Specifically, it requires: - The government to report to Parliament at least once every three years on how well it is implementing its Federal Sustainable Development Strategy - The government to share draft sustainable development strategies with Parliament for review and comment for at least 120 days before finalizing them - Parliamentary committees to automatically receive and review these strategies - Each federal department and agency to prepare and update its own sustainable development strategy at least every three years and lay it before both houses of Parliament Second, it updates the Auditor General Act to give the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (a position within the Auditor General's office) the power to: - Monitor and report annually to Parliament on how well federal departments are meeting sustainable development targets and goals - Include findings from these assessments in annual reports to Parliament - Have these reports submitted to the Speakers of both the Senate and House of Commons, who must lay them before their respective houses within 15 sitting days of receiving them In plain language, the bill ensures that Parliament—not just the government—regularly receives information about how well Canada is pursuing sustainable development goals, and that Parliament can review and comment on strategies before they are finalized.