Bill S-222 explained in plain English
An Act for the promotion and advancement of Canada’s linguistic plurality
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st 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-222 proposes to establish a national policy to promote and advance Canada's linguistic plurality, requiring the Minister of Canadian Heritage to implement the policy and report annually to Parliament.
Bill S-222, titled 'An Act for the promotion and advancement of Canada’s linguistic plurality,' proposes to establish a national policy aimed at promoting and advancing Canada's linguistic diversity. It outlines the policy's goals, which include enhancing the use of languages other than English and French while reinforcing the status of official languages. The bill would require the Minister of Canadian Heritage to implement this policy, consult with language communities, and report annually to Parliament on the Act's operation and the Minister's activities. The Act would come into force two years after receiving royal assent, or earlier if proclaimed by the Governor in Council.
- Establishes a national policy to promote and advance Canada's linguistic plurality.
- Requires the Minister of Canadian Heritage to implement this policy.
- Mandates the Minister to prepare and table an annual report in Parliament on the operation of the Act.
- Defines 'linguistic plurality' as the multilingual character of Canada.
- States that the Act does not affect constitutional guarantees for English and French or the principles of the Official Languages Act.
- Minister of Canadian Heritage
- Federal institutions
- Provincial, territorial, municipal, and local authorities
- Language communities
- Canadians
- The Minister must implement the linguistic plurality policy.
- The Minister must consult with language communities.
- The Minister must prepare and lay an annual report before each House of Parliament.
- Federal institutions are encouraged to promote and facilitate the certification of language instructors, linguists, interpreters, and translators.
- Federal institutions are encouraged to promote the use of languages other than English or French as a means of communication.
- The Act comes into force two years after the day on which it receives royal assent or on any earlier day that may be fixed by order of the Governor in Council (Section 12).
- The specific measures the Minister considers appropriate to implement the policy are not detailed beyond general areas.
- The Act does not specify what constitutes 'carrying out the purposes and provisions of this Act' for the purpose of creating regulations.
- The Act does not specify the exact content of the annual report beyond the categories listed in Section 11(2).
- The bill text does not provide details on potential financial implications or the resources required for implementation.
- The bill text does not outline specific penalties for non-compliance.
The Governor in Council would be empowered to create regulations to help implement the Act's purposes and provisions.
Source: Section 10
The Act would come into force two years after receiving royal assent, or on an earlier date set by the Governor in Council.
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
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Bill S-222 concerning Canada's linguistic plurality was introduced and received first reading in the Senate on March 22, 2016, but has not proceeded further.
On March 22, 2016, in the Senate, Bill S-222, an Act for the promotion and advancement of Canada’s linguistic plurality, was introduced and received its first reading. This is a procedural step that allows the bill to be formally recognized by the Senate. The bill was then placed on the Order of the Day for second reading two days later. The current status of the bill is that it has not proceeded further.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
During a Senate sitting on May 31, 2016, the debate on Bill S-222 was adjourned, and various other procedural matters and Question Period took place.
This Senate sitting on May 31, 2016, included several procedural actions and debates. Notably, the debate on Bill S-222, concerning Canada's linguistic plurality, was adjourned, meaning it was not completed. Other business included tabling reports, motions to suspend sittings, and first readings of bills. The Senate also engaged in Question Period, where the Minister of National Revenue addressed various tax-related issues. The sitting concluded with the adoption of a motion concerning proceedings on Bill C-14 (medical assistance in dying).
During a Senate sitting on December 2, 2016, various procedural matters were addressed, including the first reading of a supply bill, question period on softwood lumber and veteran hiring, and debates on Bills C-26 and S-222, the latter of which was continued and adjourned.
On December 2, 2016, the Senate convened. During the sitting, Routine Proceedings included the first reading of Appropriation Bill No. 4, 2016-17, and a notice of motion regarding committee meeting times. Question Period addressed the Prime Minister's meeting with the U.S. Vice President concerning softwood lumber, and the government's policy on hiring medically released veterans. The Senate also began a debate on Bill C-26, an Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act and Income Tax Act, which was adjourned. A motion concerning the Statutes Repeal Act was also debated and adjourned. Finally, the debate on Bill S-222, An Act for the promotion and advancement of Canada’s linguistic plurality, was continued and then adjourned to the next 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