How a bill is introduced and how it passes through the system

Bill Casey
Posted June 6th, 2025
Categorized as News/Politics
Tagged as Government of CanadaParliament

Canadian flag with several lined documents scattered across it, representing bills

Some readers are asking how a proposed piece of legislation goes through the Legislative Process. It isn’t simple. Here’s an overview of how a bill is introduced in Canada’s federal Parliament and proceeds through the system:

Types of Bills

Government Bills: Introduced by a government minister and reflect government policy.
Private Members’ Bills: Introduced by individual MPs who are not part of the cabinet, often focusing on issues not covered by government policy.

1. First Reading (Introduction)

In the House of Commons: A bill is introduced by a government minister (for a Government Bill) or an MP (for a Private Member’s Bill) by giving notice and asking for the bill to be placed on the Order Paper. This is the first formal stage. Whoever introduces the bill has the opportunity to make a short speech about the purpose of the bill.
In the Senate: Senators can also introduce bills, and the process is similar to that in the House of Commons.

During the First Reading:

There is no debate or vote.
The bill is introduced and assigned a number (e.g., C-123 for Commons Bills or S-456 for Senate Bills).
Copies of the bill are distributed, and the text is made available to the public.

2. Second Reading (Debate on the Principle of the Bill)

The bill is debated in the House of Commons.
MPs debate the principle of the bill, not its specific details.
After the debate, a vote is held. If the majority supports the bill, it moves on to the next stage.
If the bill is defeated at this stage, it does not proceed any further. It is over for this bill.

3. Committee Stage

If passed on Second Reading, the bill is referred to a committee (either a Standing Committee or a special committee relevant to the bill’s subject matter). I will do another post about committees soon.
Opposition MPs provide a list of witnesses who might oppose the bill.
Government MPs provide a list of witnesses who might support the bill.
The committee examines the bill in detail, and will question the witnesses.
Written submissions are always allowed whether they are for or against the bill.
The committee can propose and vote on amendments to the bill.
After the review, the committee votes to send the bill back to the House.

4. Report Stage

The committee reports the bill back to the chamber.
At this stage, MPs or Senators debate the committee’s findings and any proposed amendments.
Further amendments can be proposed and voted on.
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5. Third Reading (Final Debate and Vote)

The bill is debated one final time.
MPs debate the bill in its entirety, including any amendments made during committee or report stages.
A final vote is held.

If the bill passes Third Reading in the House of Commons, it then goes to the Senate and a similar process starts all over again. A bill can be started in the Senate, but most by far start in the House of Commons.

By the time the bill goes through these processes, it has been well analyzed and any questions have been addressed. After both Houses have passed the legislation, it is sent for Royal Assent where the bill becomes law when the Governor General gives approval on behalf of the Crown. The Bill then becomes an Act, and is the law of the land.

Nothing to it.