🍁 civid v1

Status and scope

• Bill S-7 was at first reading in the Senate. It proposes changes to federal regulatory and administrative processes across several sectors.
• The supplied text includes an official summary but truncates the detailed bill partway through Part 2. Details below for later provisions therefore rely on that summary; the text does not specify overall costs or all implementation dates.

Part 1 — Agriculture and food manufacturing

• Agricultural marketing: Provincial marketing boards would receive powers over specified products in interprovincial or export trade by being listed in a statutory schedule, rather than through orders in council. The agriculture minister could amend the schedule. Certain provincial administrative bodies would receive related powers. Boards could impose levies and charges but must make their requirements accessible; inaccessible requirements would not be enforceable during that period.
• Transition: Certain existing marketing instruments would continue until replaced or, at the latest, the day after the third anniversary of the division’s coming into force. Existing milk quotas would continue until revoked.
• Farm regulation: The bill would permit regulations recognizing foreign systems for feeds, fertilizers, supplements, seeds and veterinary biologics. It would transfer weed-seed specification from the minister to the Governor in Council and allow regulations on weed seeds.
• Animal health and inspection: The agriculture minister could approve certain animal-health programs developed outside the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The bill would clarify powers over imported garbage. CFIA could use electronic systems, including automated systems, to make decisions; regulations could require electronic submissions or payments in specified circumstances.
• Farm programs: Changes to the Advance Payments Program would remove the finance minister’s approval requirement for changes to advance limits and alter security and proof-of-sale requirements. Agreements already in force would remain subject to the previous rules. Age limits for specified dairy and farm-products body members would be removed.

Part 2 — Environment and natural resources

• Electronic administration: Environmental laws administered or enforced by the environment minister or a responsible agency could be administered electronically. Regulations could require electronic information or payments in specified circumstances.
• Explosives: A new administrative monetary penalty scheme would affect individuals and organizations subject to the Explosives Act. Maximum penalties would be $25,000 for an individual and $250,000 otherwise, with regulations setting particular penalties. Recipients could request ministerial review or a compliance agreement. Default on an agreement could result in twice the stated penalty or forfeiture of security. Due diligence and reasonable mistake of fact would not be available as defences to a violation.
• Fish and wildlife: The bill would permit fish relocation near fishways, obstructions or leaps for specified conservation purposes during maintenance, repair or modification. It would make certain wildlife import and interprovincial transport prohibitions subject to regulations and remove a requirement to update regulations listing species included in international convention appendices.
• Other measures: It would update offshore hazardous-product terminology and requirements, revise the regulation and discipline of Canada Lands Surveyors, and expand environmental administrative penalties to certain Fisheries Act violations while increasing maximum penalties and extending certain limitation periods. It would also repeal a subsection of the Northern Pipeline Act; the supplied summary does not explain its effect.

Part 3 — Digital reforms

• The Fisheries Act could be administered and enforced electronically.
• Radio equipment registration would replace technical acceptance certificates. The industry minister could administer or designate others to administer spectrum-related electronic systems. The Radiocommunication Act would apply on parts of spacecraft under Canadian direction or control.
• Changes to the Statutory Instruments Act would update document transmission and regulation-preparation procedures and end the requirement to publish quarterly consolidated indexes.

Part 4 — Borders and transportation

• The public safety minister could exempt a person or class of persons from a provision of border program legislation if specified conditions are met.
• Closed-loop pumped artificial storage reservoirs would be excluded from the definition of “navigable water.” The transport minister could renew, cancel or amend specified railway exemptions.
• Marine security changes would give the minister new agreement-making, interim-order and emergency-direction powers. Regulation-making powers would cover matters including health threats, information sharing and vessel exclusion zones. The bill would create offences, increase some penalties and extend certain offence and administrative penalty provisions to vessels.

Part 5 — Food and drugs

• Export provisions in the Food and Drugs Act