Bill S-224 explained in plain English
An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 3rd 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-224 proposes to establish a national volunteer emergency response service led by a federally appointed Commissioner to supplement emergency personnel during crises.
Bill S-224 proposes to create a new federal organization called the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service. This service would respond to emergencies by supplementing and supporting military, police, health, and other emergency personnel and service providers. The bill establishes that: - A Commissioner appointed by the Governor in Council would lead the Service. - Optionally, a Deputy Commissioner could also be appointed. - All members, including the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, would be unpaid volunteers. - To be a member, a person must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, of good character, and meet additional requirements set by the Commissioner. - The Commissioner would recruit members, set training standards, establish a code of conduct, and set membership requirements. - Which specific emergencies the Service responds to would be decided by the Governor in Council (the cabinet). - The Service would work with provinces to ensure it does not interfere with their emergency management abilities. - The Commissioner would help the federal government carry out emergency management responsibilities. - The Governor in Council could make regulations to assign additional functions to the Service. - The Act would come into force only after Parliament has approved funding for it.
- Establishes a new federal organization called the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service
- Sets the Service's role as responding to emergencies by supplementing and supporting military, police, health, and other emergency personnel and service providers
- Requires the Governor in Council to decide which emergencies the Service will respond to
- Allows the Governor in Council to assign additional functions to the Service by regulation
- Requires the Service to cooperate with provinces and avoid impairing their emergency management abilities
- Specifies that all members of the Service, including leadership, are unpaid volunteers
- Establishes membership qualifications: at least 18 years old, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, good character, and Commissioner-set requirements
- Creates the position of Commissioner to direct and manage the Service, appointed by the Governor in Council
- Lists Commissioner duties: recruit and appoint members, establish training standards, establish a code of conduct, and set additional membership requirements
- Allows the Governor in Council to optionally appoint a Deputy Commissioner
- Requires the Commissioner to assist the federal government in carrying out Emergency Management Act responsibilities
- Makes the Act come into force only after Parliament has appropriated funding for it
- Canadian citizens and permanent residents who may choose to volunteer as unpaid members of the Service
- Military, police, health, and other emergency personnel who would be supplemented and supported by the Service
- Emergency service providers working in Canada
- Provincial governments, who would coordinate with the Service but retain their own emergency management powers
- The federal government, which would appoint the Commissioner and direct which emergencies the Service responds to
- Federal ministers responsible for public safety and emergency preparedness
- The Service has an obligation to respond to emergencies designated by the Governor in Council
- The Service has an obligation to supplement and support emergency personnel without unduly impairing provincial emergency management abilities
- The Service has an obligation to cooperate with provinces to achieve concerted emergency response action
- The Commissioner has an obligation to direct and manage the Service and assist the government with Emergency Management Act responsibilities
- The Commissioner has an obligation to recruit members, establish training standards, establish a code of conduct, and set membership requirements
- Service members have an obligation to meet membership qualifications and requirements set by the Commissioner
- Service members have an obligation to follow the code of conduct established by the Commissioner
- Provinces have a right to take measures for dealing with emergencies under provincial law without undue interference from the Service
- Eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents have a right to volunteer as Service members if they meet the requirements
- The bill was first read in the Senate on October 26, 2010
- The Act does not come into force on a fixed date; it comes into force on a date or dates to be set by Governor in Council order, but only after Parliament has appropriated funding
- Parliament must appropriate funding for the Service before the Act can come into force
- The Governor General must recommend appropriation of funds for the Act to the Governor in Council
- The bill does not specify what training standards would be required for Service members
- The bill does not specify what additional membership requirements the Commissioner would establish beyond the four listed in Section 8
- The bill does not specify what code of conduct would apply to members
- The bill does not specify which emergencies the Governor in Council would designate for the Service to respond to
- The bill does not specify what other functions the Governor in Council might assign to the Service by regulation
- The bill does not specify the funding amount or sources for the Service
- The bill does not specify the operational structure, geographic distribution, or size of the Service
- The exact date the Act comes into force is not specified and depends on Cabinet decree and parliamentary appropriation
The Commissioner of the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service would assist the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and other ministers in carrying out their responsibilities under the Emergency Management Act
Source: Section 11(3)
The term 'permanent resident' in the membership qualifications refers to the definition in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Source: Section 8(b)
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-224, concerning the establishment of a national volunteer emergency response service, has completed first reading and is currently undergoing second reading debates in the Senate.
This artifact describes the procedural steps taken for Bill S-224, "An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service," in the Senate. It shows that the bill completed its first reading on October 26, 2010. The bill then proceeded to second reading, with debates taking place on December 8, 2010, and March 2, 2011. A sponsor's speech was also given on December 9, 2010. The bill is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate.
On October 26, 2010, the Senate held its first reading for Bill S-224, an act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service, and engaged in various other debates and proceedings.
On October 26, 2010, the Senate met, and several items were discussed. A bill to establish a national volunteer emergency response service (Bill S-224) was introduced and read for the first time. Other discussions included community projects for seniors, the Commonwealth Games, Edmonton's bid for Expo 2017, the future of renewable energy, the Dalai Lama's visit, and various government reports being tabled. There were also debates on product safety, foreign relations, Arctic offshore drilling requirements, tobacco control strategy, the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, amending the Canada Post Corporation Act, and a bill to ensure Canada addresses climate change. Additionally, reports from Senate committees on Transport and Communications and on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources were adopted or debated.
Bill S-224, concerning the establishment of a national volunteer emergency response service, was undergoing debate at the second reading stage in the Senate.
This record shows the procedural status of Bill S-224, An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service, in the Senate. The bill was at the second reading stage. The latest activity recorded was a debate at second reading on March 2, 2011. The bill had its first reading on October 26, 2010, and its second reading was debated on December 8, 2010, and March 2, 2011. The sponsor's speech occurred on December 9, 2010.
During a Senate sitting on December 8, 2010, Senator Mac Harb introduced Bill S-224, "An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service," at second reading, and debate on the bill was adjourned.
On December 8, 2010, the Senate of Canada held a sitting that included Senators' Statements, Routine Proceedings, Question Period, and Orders of the Day. During the sitting, Senator Mac Harb moved second reading of Bill S-224, "An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service." The debate on this bill was adjourned. Other matters discussed included statements on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the twenty-first anniversary of the École Polytechnique tragedy, discrimination based on sexual orientation, the Nortel bankruptcy and its impact on employees, the Halifax Explosion, and various reports and motions tabled by senators. Question Period addressed issues such as long-term disability benefits for Nortel employees, CBC/Radio-Canada funding, support for families of deceased soldiers, the F-35 aircraft purchase, and civilian personnel in Afghanistan. The Senate also considered and adjourned debate on several other bills, including "An Act to promote gender equity in Indian registration" (Bill C-3) and "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (suicide bombings)" (Bill S-215). A point of order was raised regarding the appropriateness of discussing matters before the Senate during Senators' Statements. A motion to suspend Thursday's sitting was adopted, and a report concerning Bill S-216 was adopted following a division.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-224, Senator Mac Harb introduced the bill to establish a national volunteer emergency response service, emphasizing the need for better preparedness and the role of trained volunteers in disaster response.
This document records the Senate's second reading debate for Bill S-224, which aims to establish a national volunteer emergency response service. Senator Mac Harb introduced the bill, highlighting the need for better preparedness in Canada for disasters and emergencies. He referenced reports from the Senate's Standing Committee on National Security and Defence that emphasized the importance of volunteers and identified gaps in government preparedness. Senator Harb proposed that Bill S-224 would create a national structure to train, coordinate, and integrate volunteers with professional emergency responders, thereby increasing Canada's capacity to respond to crises. The debate was adjourned after his speech.
The Senate continued the debate on Bill S-224, An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service, but the debate was not concluded.
On March 2, 2011, the Senate continued its debate on Bill S-224, An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service. The debate was continued and not completed during this sitting.
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