Bill S-207 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to repeal a regulation
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 45th 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
The bill updates the rules for criminal record expiry, pardons, and eligibility for benefits by replacing old provisions with new ones that clarify how these processes interact with immigration, tax, and parole laws.
The bill amends the Criminal Records Act and related laws to update procedures for record expiry, pardons, and eligibility for certain benefits. Key changes include replacing outdated provisions about record expiry with new rules, clarifying how pardons affect record expiry, and adjusting how record expiry interacts with immigration and tax laws. The amendments also modify the process for revoking record expiry orders and specify how record expiry status impacts eligibility for benefits under the Income Tax Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
- Replaces sections of the Criminal Records Act that govern record expiry with new provisions (e.g., replacing section 58 with new subsections 58(1) to (5)).
- Clarifies that a pardon does not automatically revoke a record expiry order unless the pardon is revoked or the individual is no longer eligible for the order.
- Modifies the National Defence Act to align with new record expiry rules for military personnel.
- Updates the Income Tax Act to consider individuals with a record expiry as eligible for certain benefits.
- Amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to adjust how record expiry affects admissibility to Canada.
- Replaces the Criminal Records Act's section 60 with new subsections 60(1) to (4) regarding record expiry revocation.
- Modifies the Parole Act to align with new record expiry procedures.
- Individuals with criminal records seeking record expiry or pardons
- Immigration officers assessing admissibility
- Tax authorities determining eligibility for benefits
- Military personnel with criminal records
- Parole board members
- The bill does not specify exact dates for when the amendments take effect beyond general references to 'commencement' in the text.
- The exact procedures for revoking record expiry orders under the new rules are not detailed in the provided text.
- The interaction between record expiry and specific benefits under the Income Tax Act is not fully explained in the text.
Updates the rules for when and how criminal records expire, including interactions with pardons and parole.
Aligns military personnel's criminal record expiry rules with updated federal standards.
Changes how record expiry status is assessed for immigration admissibility.
Aligns parole procedures with updated record expiry rules.
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-207 completed its first reading in the Senate on May 28, 2025, marking its formal introduction to the chamber before proceeding to second reading.
Bill S-207, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Records Act and related legislation, completed its first reading in the Senate on May 28, 2025. This procedural step marks the formal introduction of the bill to the Senate. The bill is now at second reading, with a debate scheduled for October 2, 2025. The first reading itself does not involve substantive discussion or voting, as it is a formal step to refer the bill to the Senate for further consideration. Similar bills (S-212, S-208, S-214) have been introduced in previous Parliaments but are not directly related to this specific stage. The summary focuses on the procedural movement of the bill through the Senate's first reading stage.
The Senate debate covers the introduction of bills, questions about official languages appointments, trade disputes, and a reference to the Speech from the Throne.
The Senate debate transcript includes several key topics. First, there is a welcome to new senators, followed by the introduction of bills S-211 and S-212. A senator raises a question about the appointment of the Commissioner of Official Languages, which the government responds to by citing the 2023-2024 budget. Another senator questions the government's stance on interprovincial trade disputes, and the government acknowledges the complexity of such issues. Finally, a speech from the throne is referenced, with a note on land acknowledgment practices.
Bill S-207 is undergoing second reading in the Senate as a procedural step, with no legal effect from this stage alone.
Bill S-207 is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The latest activity was a debate on October 2, 2025, during Sitting 21. The bill was first introduced on May 28, 2025. During the second reading debate, Senator Kim Pate (Independent Senators Group) delivered the sponsor’s speech. The bill aims to amend the Criminal Records Act, make consequential amendments to other laws, and repeal a regulation. This stage is a procedural step in the legislative process and does not itself change the law. Similar bills (S-212, S-208, S-214) have been introduced in previous Parliaments but are not directly related to this specific bill.
The Senate debate transcript includes discussions on environmental protection bills, Indigenous cultural heritage, Arab Heritage Month, soil health strategies, and committee authorizations for various studies.
The Senate debate transcript covers multiple bills and motions. Key topics include: 1) Bill S-227 (Arab Heritage Month) - second reading motion. 2) Bill S-226 (Indigenous cultural heritage protection) - discussion on national strategy and Indigenous collaboration. 3) Bill S-225 (environmental protection) - focus on federal government's role. 4) Bill S-224 (Great Lakes protection) - need for stakeholder collaboration. 5) Bill S-223 (Arctic protection) - national strategy importance. 6) Bill S-222 (ocean protection) - national strategy and stakeholder involvement. 7) Bill S-221 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 8) Bill S-220 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 9) Bill S-219 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 10) Bill S-218 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 11) Bill S-217 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 12) Bill S-216 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 13) Bill S-215 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 14) Bill S-214 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 15) Bill S-213 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 16) Bill S-212 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 17) Bill S-211 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 18) Bill S-210 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 19) Bill S-209 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 20) Bill S-208 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 21) Bill S-207 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 22) Bill S-206 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 23) Bill S-205 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 24) Bill S-204 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 25) Bill S-203 (environmental protection) - federal government's role. 26) Bill S-202 (environmental protection) - national strategy. 27) Bill S-227 (Arab Heritage Month) - second reading motion. 28) Bill S-230 (soil health strategy) - importance of soil health and balancing economic development. 29) Bill S-230 (soil health strategy) - balancing economic development with soil preservation. 30) Authorization of committees to study social affairs, legal matters, and AI. 31) Inquiry into Canadian news media's future and funding models.
The Senate debated multiple bills and motions, including proposals for heritage recognition, soil health, shipping regulations, and Indigenous child welfare, with procedural votes on committee authorizations.
The Senate debate transcript includes discussions on several bills and motions. Key topics include: (1) Bill S-227 to establish Arab Heritage Month, (2) Bill S-230 to support soil health initiatives, (3) Bill S-231 to amend the Canada Shipping Act, and (4) Bill S-232 to address Indigenous child welfare. A motion to authorize a committee to study AI impacts on Canadian society was also debated. The transcript includes procedural votes on motions and committee appointments, but no final legislative outcomes are reported.
Bill S-207 is awaiting its Third reading in the Senate, having completed Second reading on October 2, 2025.
This record indicates that Bill S-207 has reached the stage of Third reading in the Senate, but this stage has not yet occurred. The last major completed stage was Second reading in the Senate on Thursday, October 2, 2025. A sponsor's speech by Senator Kim Pate occurred during the Second reading debate.
Bill S-207, which aims to amend the Criminal Records Act, has completed first reading in the House of Commons and is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes the procedural stages of Bill S-207 in the House of Commons and Senate. In the House of Commons, the bill reached the stage of First Reading on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, but this stage is currently marked as 'Not reached'. The bill's current status is 'At second reading in the Senate', with the latest activity being a debate at second reading on Thursday, October 2, 2025. The artifact also lists similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
Bill S-207 has not yet reached its second reading stage in the House of Commons, although it is currently undergoing second reading in the Senate.
The provided text describes the procedural status of Bill S-207 in the House of Commons. It indicates that the 'House of Commons Second reading' stage has not yet been reached. The bill is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The last significant activity mentioned is a debate at second reading in the Senate on October 2, 2025. The text also lists similar bills (S-212, S-208, S-214) that were introduced in previous parliamentary sessions.
The House of Commons stage of 'Consideration in committee' for Bill S-207 has not yet been reached, with the bill currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes a stage in the legislative process for Bill S-207 in the House of Commons, specifically 'Consideration in committee'. However, the source text indicates that this stage has 'Not reached'. The artifact also provides historical information about the bill's progress, noting its current status is 'At second reading in the Senate' and its latest activity was a 'Debate at second reading on Thursday, October 2, 2025 (Senate)'.
Bill S-207 has reached the report stage in the House of Commons, but this stage has not yet occurred, while the bill is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes the progress of Bill S-207. While the bill originated in the Senate and is currently at the second reading stage there, this specific record indicates the bill has reached the 'Report stage' in the House of Commons. However, the 'Stage state' is noted as 'Not reached', meaning this procedural step has not yet occurred in the House of Commons. The latest activity shown for the bill is a debate at second reading in the Senate on October 2, 2025. The artifact also lists similar bills that were introduced in previous parliamentary sessions.
Bill S-207 has not yet reached Third Reading in the House of Commons and is currently at Second Reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes the legislative process for Bill S-207. The bill has not yet reached the Third Reading stage in the House of Commons; this stage is marked as 'Not reached'. The bill's current status is at Second Reading in the Senate, with the latest activity being a debate on Thursday, October 2, 2025. The bill was first read on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The artifact also references similar bills introduced in previous Parliaments.
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