🍁 civid v1

Purpose and status

• Bill S-234 would require the Minister of Health to develop a national framework on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), intended to support affected people, their families and caregivers.
• The bill is at second reading. The provided text is the version introduced at first reading on September 23, 2025.

National framework

The framework would have to:

• Address training, education and guidance for health care and other professionals on prevention, diagnosis and support.
• Identify measures to promote research and information-sharing between governments.
• Set national standards for prevention, diagnosis and support measures.
• Include an awareness strategy on alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the consequences of FASD. This must include recommendations for changes to legislative and policy frameworks related to alcohol consumption and marketing.
• Identify any other measures the minister considers appropriate to prevent FASD, improve diagnosis and promote better outcomes.

Consultation

The minister would have to consult specified federal ministers; provincial and territorial representatives; relevant stakeholders, including self-advocates and caregivers; Indigenous communities and organizations with predominantly Indigenous leadership; and any others the minister considers appropriate.

Reports and deadlines

• Within 18 months after the Act comes into force, the minister must prepare a report setting out the framework. It must be tabled in each House of Parliament within that House’s first 15 sitting days after the report is completed.
• The report must be published on the Department of Health website within 10 days after it is tabled in Parliament.
• Within five years after the framework report is tabled, the minister must table a further report in each House. It must evaluate implemented measures and explain why any measures have not been implemented, including any implementation timelines.

Changes and costs

• The bill creates framework, consultation and reporting duties. It calls for recommendations on alcohol-related laws and policies but does not itself amend them.
• The provided text does not specify funding or costs, or require every measure in the framework to be implemented.