Bill S-201 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 2nd 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-201 proposes to change the process for selecting the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate from appointment by the Governor General to election by the Senate itself, and makes related changes to parliamentary procedure and law.
Bill S-201, titled "An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate)", proposes changes to how the Senate selects its Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Currently, the Governor General appoints the Speaker. This bill would require the Senate to elect its own Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot after a general election and to fill any vacancies. It also updates rules regarding voting in the Senate and defines the roles and powers of the elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker, including their ability to preside and the validity of their actions. Amendments are also proposed to the Parliament of Canada Act to reflect these changes, including an updated salary amount for the Deputy Speaker. The bill would come into effect upon the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament.
- Amends the Constitution Act, 1867 to require the Senate to elect its Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot.
- Requires the Senate to elect a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker if a vacancy occurs.
- Replaces existing rules on how questions are decided in the Senate.
- Amends the Parliament of Canada Act to outline procedures for the elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
- Specifies that the Deputy Speaker would receive an annual salary of $20,600.
- Sets the commencement of the Act to the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament.
- Members of the Senate
- The Speaker of the Senate
- The Deputy Speaker of the Senate
- The Governor General of Canada
- The Senate will have the obligation to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret ballot.
- Senators elected as Speaker or Deputy Speaker will have defined powers and duties.
- The Senate will have the right to elect its own leadership.
- The Act comes into force on the dissolution of the 43rd Parliament.
- The bill specifies an annual salary of $20,600 for the member of the Senate occupying the position of Deputy Speaker.
- The bill does not specify the process or timeline for the Senate to establish its election procedures for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker beyond requiring a secret ballot and prompt election.
- The bill does not detail the exact process for handling vacancies beyond stating that the Senate shall proceed with all practicable speed to elect a replacement.
Changes how the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate are selected, moving from appointment by the Governor General to election by the Senate, and modifies rules for voting in the Senate.
Source: Section 1 of the Bill
Updates provisions related to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Senate, including their roles when leaving the chair, procedures for unavoidable absence, and the validity of their actions. It also adjusts the salary amount for the Deputy Speaker.
Source: Section 3 and Section 4 of the Bill
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-201, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, completed its first reading in the Senate on September 30, 2020, and is now at the second reading stage.
Bill S-201, titled 'An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate)', completed its first reading in the Senate on September 30, 2020. This is a procedural step where the bill is formally introduced. The bill is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The provided text also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous or the current Parliament.
The Senate formally introduced Bill S-201 for first reading and scheduled it for further debate.
On September 30, 2020, the Senate proceeded with first reading of Bill S-201, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate). This involved introducing the bill to the Senate, after which it was placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading. The sitting also included tributes to the late Honourable Brenda Robertson and Aline Chrétien, discussions on various other Senate business including several notices of motions and inquiries, and a question period covering topics such as COVID-19 testing, international relations, and Indigenous services.
Bill S-201 is currently awaiting debate at the second reading stage in the Senate, with its last procedural action being first reading in September 2020.
This artifact describes the procedural status of Bill S-201 in the Senate. The bill is currently at the second reading stage. The last procedural activity recorded was its introduction and first reading on September 30, 2020. The artifact also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous or the current Parliament.
Bill S-201 is at the third reading stage in the Senate, but this stage has not yet been reached, with its latest activity being its introduction and first reading on September 30, 2020.
This artifact describes the procedural stage of Bill S-201 in the Senate. It indicates that the bill is currently at the 'Senate Third reading' stage, but this stage has 'Not reached'. The latest activity recorded for this bill was its introduction and first reading on September 30, 2020. The artifact also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous or the current Parliament.
Bill S-201, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, was introduced and received first reading in the Senate on September 30, 2020, and is currently at second reading in the Senate, although its "House of Commons First reading" stage is marked as not reached.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-201, an Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act, concerning the Speaker of the Senate. The artifact indicates that the bill's current stage in the legislative process is "House of Commons First reading" but this stage has "Not reached". The bill's overall current status is "At second reading in the Senate". The latest activity noted for this bill was its introduction and first reading on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, which occurred in the Senate, not the House of Commons.
Bill S-201, an act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act regarding the Speaker of the Senate, has not yet reached second reading in the House of Commons, with its current status being second reading in the Senate.
This artifact indicates that Bill S-201, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, has not yet reached the second reading stage in the House of Commons. The bill was first read in the Senate on September 30, 2020, and its current status is at second reading in the Senate. The artifact also lists several similar bills that have been introduced in previous or the current Parliament, along with their progress through the legislative process.
Bill S-201, concerning the Speaker of the Senate, is listed as awaiting consideration in a House of Commons committee, though this stage has not yet been reached, and is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes a stage in the legislative process for Bill S-201. It indicates that the bill, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, is scheduled for consideration in a House of Commons committee. However, this stage has not yet been reached. The artifact also lists the bill's current status as being at second reading in the Senate and details its introduction and first reading dates. Additionally, it references similar bills that have been introduced in past parliamentary sessions, providing their respective statuses and stages completed.
Bill S-201, which aims to amend constitutional and parliamentary acts regarding the Speaker of the Senate, has not yet reached the Report stage in the House of Commons and is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This record indicates that Bill S-201, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act related to the Speaker of the Senate, has not yet reached the Report stage in the House of Commons. The bill's current status is at second reading in the Senate. The latest recorded activity was its introduction and first reading in the Senate on September 30, 2020. The provided text also lists similar bills that have been introduced in previous parliamentary sessions, detailing their respective stages and the last major stage they completed.
Bill S-201 has not yet reached the third reading stage in the House of Commons, and its current status is at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes the legislative process for Bill S-201 in the House of Commons. It indicates that the bill has not yet reached the third reading stage in the House of Commons. The bill's current status is at second reading in the Senate. The artifact also lists similar bills that have been 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