Bill C-205 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 43rd 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 C-205, an Act to amend the Health of Animals Act, proposes making it an offence to knowingly or recklessly enter an animal enclosure in a way that could expose animals to disease or toxic substances, and sets penalties for this offence.
Bill C-205 proposes to amend the Health of Animals Act. It aims to create a new offence for entering a place where animals are kept if this action could expose them to a disease or toxic substance. This offence would apply unless there is lawful authority or excuse. The bill also changes how existing penalties apply to this new offence, creating separate penalties for individuals and other persons (like corporations).
- Creates a new offence related to exposing animals to disease or toxic substances.
- Amends the Health of Animals Act to include this new offence.
- Establishes penalties for individuals who commit this offence.
- Establishes penalties for persons other than individuals (e.g., corporations) who commit this offence.
- Persons who enter buildings or enclosed places where animals are kept.
- Individuals.
- Corporations and other entities that are not individuals.
- No person shall, without lawful authority or excuse, enter a building or other enclosed place in which animals are kept knowing that or being reckless as to whether entering such a place could result in the exposure of the animals to a disease or toxic substance that is capable of affecting or contaminating them.
- Individuals contravening section 9.1 are guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction or an indictable offence with specific penalties.
- Persons other than individuals contravening section 9.1 are guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction or an indictable offence with specific penalties.
- The bill states it comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council. (Section 3)
- Individuals found guilty of contravening section 9.1 could face fines of up to $50,000 (summary conviction) or $250,000 (indictable offence), or imprisonment.
- Persons other than individuals found guilty of contravening section 9.1 could face fines of up to $100,000 (summary conviction) or $500,000 (indictable offence).
- Individuals contravening section 9.1 face penalties of a fine not exceeding $50,000 or imprisonment for up to six months on summary conviction, or a fine not exceeding $250,000 or imprisonment for up to two years on indictment.
- Persons other than individuals contravening section 9.1 face penalties of a fine not exceeding $100,000 on summary conviction, or a fine not exceeding $500,000 on indictment.
- The bill does not specify what constitutes 'lawful authority or excuse'.
- The specific diseases or toxic substances that may trigger this offence are not detailed in the bill.
- The bill does not specify how the penalties will be applied in practice or if there are any mitigating factors to consider.
- The commencement date of the bill is not yet determined and will be set by order of the Governor in Council.
Adds a new section (9.1) that prohibits entering an animal enclosure without lawful authority or excuse if it could result in the exposure of animals to a disease or toxic substance that may affect or contaminate them.
Source: Section 1
Modifies the general offence provision by excluding the new section 9.1 from its existing penalty structure, as specific penalties are being created for section 9.1.
Source: Section 2(1)
Adds new subsections (1.1) and (1.2) to create specific offences and penalties for contravening the new section 9.1, distinguishing between individuals and other persons.
Source: Section 2(2)
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 Second reading 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 First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
On February 18, 2020, Bill C-205, an act to amend the Health of Animals Act, was introduced and received first reading in the House of Commons.
On February 18, 2020, Bill C-205, an act to amend the Health of Animals Act, was introduced and received first reading in the House of Commons. This artifact is a record of that sitting. No debate on the bill itself is present in this 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