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FederalIn Progress45th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill S-3 explained in plain English

An Act to amend the Weights and Measures Act, the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act, the Weights and Measures Regulations and the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
45th Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill S-3
Full title
An Act to amend the Weights and Measures Act, the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act, the Weights and Measures Regulations and the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations
Current status
In Progress
Latest event
At second reading in the House of Commons
Last updated
Apr 29, 2026

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.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
At second reading in the House of Commons
Latest Activity
Apr 29, 2026
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

The bill updates regulations for utility meters, expands inspection powers, and introduces bilingual requirements under the Weights and Measures Act and Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.

What It Means

This bill amends the Weights and Measures Act and the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act to update regulations related to utility meters, inspection powers, and bilingual requirements. Key changes include new provisions for meter regulations, expanded inspector authority, and updated definitions for utility services.

What This Bill Does
  • Amends the Weights and Measures Act to add sections 19.1 and 19.2, which define utility services and establish meter regulations.
  • Adds section 34.1 to the Weights and Measures Act, requiring bilingual (English and French) provisions for certain regulations.
  • Modifies the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act to include new meter regulations and liability provisions for utility companies.
  • Replaces the term 'director' with 'president' in the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and updates fee structures for inspections.
  • Includes transition provisions to ensure the new regulations apply to existing meters and services.
Who Is Affected
  • Utility companies providing electricity and gas services
  • Inspectors under the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act
  • Consumers using utility meters
  • Government agencies responsible for enforcement
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not specify exact penalties for non-compliance with new meter regulations.
  • The exact scope of 'utility services' under the new definitions is not detailed in the text.
  • The transition provisions do not clarify how existing meters will be brought into compliance with new standards.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Weights and Measures Act
Amended

Includes new sections defining utility services and meter regulations, with bilingual requirements for certain provisions.

Electricity and Gas Inspection Act
Amended

Adds meter regulations, liability rules for utility companies, and replaces 'director' with 'president' in administrative roles.

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 text
Official summary
Official summary (Parliament of Canada)

The official summary published alongside the bill, shown exactly as written.

Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)

Third-party sourceView on LEGISinfo

A legislative summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive summary is available. On 28 October 2025, Sen. Pierre Moreau introduced Bill S-3, An Act to amend the Weights and Measures Act, the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act, the Weights and Measures Regulations and the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations in the Senate and it was given first reading. Bill S-3 amends the Weights and Measures Act to, among other things, clarify existing powers, duties and functions of the Minister of Industry and inspectors, provide the Minister with certain powers, including with respect to sampling when devices are examined and with respect to corrective and preventive measures, and provide inspectors with certain powers. It also amends the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act to, among other things, broaden the definition of “meter”, provide the president with the authority to grant certain exemptions, clarify the steps required to put a device into service, clarify existing powers, duties and functions of the Minister and inspectors, provide the Minister with certain powers, including with respect to sampling when meters are examined and with respect to corrective and preventive measures, and provide inspectors with certain powers. It also repeals certain provisions in the Weights and Measures Regulations and the Electricity and Gas Inspection Regulations. Finally, it includes transitional provisions.

This is the official summary published by the Parliament of Canada, shown verbatim. Not legal advice. PoliticalData.ca did not write or edit this text.

View on LEGISinfo

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Oct 28, 2025
Completed

Bill S-3 completed its Senate first reading on October 28, 2025, and is now at second reading in the House of Commons, with further procedural steps planned for 2026.

Introduction and first reading, Oct 28, 2025
End of stage activity, Oct 28, 2025
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Oct 28, 2025

The Senate debated amendments to the Indian Act, aquaculture in BC, Gaza humanitarian issues, and Indigenous child removals, with ministers emphasizing consultation and senators highlighting systemic inequities.

Step 2
Second reading
Nov 27, 2025
Completed

Bill S-3, which proposes amendments to the Weights and Measures Act, the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act, and related regulations, reached the Senate stage of second reading on November 4, 2025. The Senate completed its second reading stage on November 27,

Second reading, Nov 27, 2025
Referral to committee, Nov 27, 2025
End of stage activity, Nov 27, 2025
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Nov 4, 2025

The Senate debated motions on judicial independence, lowering the voting age, addressing Gaza-related international law concerns, and commemorating Newfoundland's War Memorial.

This metadata describes a Senate debate record from April 19, 2023, with HTML format and discussion type.

Debate at second reading - Nov 25, 2025

The Senate session focused on introducing and discussing bills related to workplace rights, health policy, and trade reform, including the 'Can’t Buy Silence Act,' FASD initiatives, and amendments to the Competition Act, alongside procedural tributes.

Debate at second reading - Nov 27, 2025

The Senate on November 27, 2025, passed motions to adopt a Rules Committee report and refer Bill S-3 to a committee, while debating procedural aspects of Bill S-2.

The Senate debated amendments to the Indian Act and weights and measures laws, with the second reading of Bill S-3 passed and a motion to adopt the Rules Committee's first report on the Question Period moved.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Feb 26, 2026
Completed

Bill S-3 completed Senate committee consideration on February 26, 2026, and is now at second reading in the House of Commons.

Committee report presented without amendment, Feb 26, 2026
End of stage activity, Feb 26, 2026
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented without amendment - Feb 26, 2026

The local model returned a partial structured draft. This summary requires human review before publication.

Step 4
Third reading
Mar 11, 2026
Completed

Bill S-3 completed its Senate third reading on March 11, 2026, advancing to the House of Commons for second reading, with procedural milestones including committee review and House second reading on April 29, 2026.

Third reading, Mar 11, 2026
End of stage activity, Mar 11, 2026
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - Mar 11, 2026

The local model returned a partial structured draft. This summary requires human review before publication.

Step 1
First reading
Mar 12, 2026
Completed

Bill S-3, which amends weights and measures laws and electricity/gas inspection regulations, completed its first reading in the House of Commons on October 28, 2025. The bill is now at second reading in the House of Commons, with a debate date of April 29, 202

First reading, Mar 12, 2026
End of stage activity, Mar 12, 2026
Chamber sittings
First reading - Mar 12, 2026

MPs debated the government's immigration and crime policies, with some criticizing the approach as inadequate and others calling for stricter enforcement measures.

Step 2
Second reading
Apr 29, 2026
In progress

Bill S-3 is undergoing second reading in the House of Commons as of April 29, 2026, with procedural debates and speeches recorded but no legal amendments enacted yet.

Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Apr 29, 2026

Parliamentarians debated amendments to the Criminal Code on medical assistance in dying, veterans' healthcare access, and the Interim Federal Health Program, with differing views on legislative approaches and implementation.

The discussion revolves around debates over Bill C-260 to protect against MAID coercion, the IFHP for migrant healthcare access, criticism of the government's pharmacare delays, and concerns about veterans' MAID eligibility.

The House of Commons debated amendments to the Criminal Code on medical assistance in dying, the role of the Interim Federal Health Program, healthcare access disparities, and veterans' support, with parties expressing differing views on policy priorities.

During the second reading debate of Bill S-3, Members of Parliament discussed proposed amendments to modernize Canada's weights and measures legislation, focusing on regulatory updates, the role of Measurement Canada, and consumer trust, without changing the bill's legal status.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

Bill S-3 is scheduled for consideration in a House of Commons committee, a stage that has not yet taken place.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

Bill S-3 has progressed through several stages in the House of Commons, including readings and committee work, but has not yet reached the Report stage.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

Bill S-3 has not yet reached the third reading stage in the House of Commons, with previous stages including first and second readings, committee review, and associated debates and speeches.

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

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Pierre Moreau
Senator | Government Representative's Office (GRO) | Quebec
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

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