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Status and purpose

• Bill C-271 was at first reading on March 13, 2026. It would amend the Criminal Code to create offences concerning scrap metal obtained by crime and mischief involving essential infrastructure.
• The bill has no Parts. Its main provisions are under “Criminal Code.”

Scrap metal offences

• The bill would make it an offence to traffic in scrap metal, or possess it for trafficking, knowing that any of it was obtained from an offence under the Criminal Code or another federal Act.
• “Traffic” would include selling, giving, transporting, importing, exporting, delivering or otherwise dealing with the metal, as well as offering to do so.
• For this offence, the maximum penalty on indictment would be 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine for a first offence, rising to a $25,000 fine for subsequent offences. On summary conviction, the maximum would be two years less a day and/or a $5,000 fine for a first offence, rising to a $15,000 fine for subsequent offences.
• A separate offence would apply to scrap metal dealers who trade in, traffic in or possess metal for sale or traffic while reckless or wilfully blind as to whether it was obtained through an offence. The maximum penalty on summary conviction would be two years less a day and/or a $10,000 fine.
• When sentencing for the knowing-trafficking offence, courts would have to treat as an aggravating circumstance that the metal came from public or private infrastructure, particularly systems essential to public safety or critical services. Examples include electrical, telecommunications, railway, pipeline, water and wastewater systems, transportation signage and safety equipment.
• The bill defines scrap metal as specified metals, their alloys or derivatives that have been dismantled, altered or prepared for recycling or resale.

Essential infrastructure mischief

• The bill would create an offence for mischief involving a physical component of essential infrastructure, where the person knows or is reckless as to whether the infrastructure cannot function as intended without that component. It refers to an existing Criminal Code definition of essential infrastructure.
• The maximum penalty would be 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine on indictment, or two years less a day and/or a $5,000 fine on summary conviction.
• Courts would have to consider as aggravating circumstances whether the mischief interrupted essential services, endangered public life, health or safety, or was committed to commit or facilitate another offence, including theft or trafficking in property obtained by crime.

Other details

• The provided text specifies no implementation deadline, new administrative powers or public spending.