Bill S-201 (Historical)

Genetic Non-Discrimination Act

An Act to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination

This bill is from the 42nd Parliament, 1st session, which ended in September 2019.

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment prohibits any person from requiring an individual to undergo a genetic test or disclose the results of a genetic test as a condition of providing goods or services to, entering into or continuing a contract or agreement with, or offering specific conditions in a contract or agreement with, the individual. Exceptions are provided for health care practitioners and researchers. The enactment provides individuals with other protections related to genetic testing and test results.
The enactment amends the Canada Labour Code to protect employees from being required to undergo or to disclose the results of a genetic test, and provides employees with other protections related to genetic testing and test results. It also amends the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the ground of genetic characteristics.

Similar bills

S-201 (41st Parliament, 2nd session) Genetic Non-Discrimination Act
S-218 (41st Parliament, 1st session) Genetic Non-Discrimination Act

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other S-201s:

S-201 (2021) An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Regulation Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum (voting age)
S-201 (2020) An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 and the Parliament of Canada Act (Speaker of the Senate)
S-201 (2019) An Act to amend the Borrowing Authority Act

Votes

March 8, 2017 Passed That the Bill be now read a third time and do pass.
March 8, 2017 Passed That Bill S-201, An Act to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination, as amended, be concurred in at report stage .
March 8, 2017 Failed
Oct. 26, 2016 Passed That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Justice and Human Rights Committee, on Nov. 15, 2016

  • James S. Cowan, Senator, Lib., Senate
  • Marie-Claude Landry, Chief Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • Marcella Daye, Senior Policy Advisor, Human Rights Promotion Branch, Canadian Human Rights Commission
  • Fiona Keith, Counsel, Human Rights Protection Branch, Canadian Human Rights Commission

Justice and Human Rights Committee, on Nov. 17, 2016

  • Laurie Sargent, Deputy Director General and General Counsel, Human Rights Law Sector, Public Law and Legislative Services Sector, Department of Justice
  • Laurie Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Justice
  • Bev Heim-Myers, Chair, Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness
  • Richard Marceau, General Counsel and Senior Government Advisor, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
  • Noah Shack, Director of Policy, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
  • Clare Gibbons, Genetic Counsellor and Past President, Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors

Justice and Human Rights Committee, on Nov. 22, 2016

  • Bruce Ryder, Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, As an Individual
  • Peter Hogg, Scholar in Residence, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, As an Individual
  • Hugo Cyr, Dean, Faculty of Political Science and Law, Université du Québec à Montréal, As an Individual
  • Pierre Thibault, Assistant Dean and Counsel, Civil Law Section, University of Ottawa, As an Individual
  • Ronald Cohn, Paediatrician-in-Chief, Hospital For Sick Children, As an Individual
  • Stephen Frank, Senior Vice-President, Policy, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association
  • Frank Zinatelli, Vice-President and General Counsel, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association
  • Jacques Boudreau, Chair, Genetic Testing Committee, Canadian Institute of Actuaries
  • Robert Howard, Past President, Canadian Institute of Actuaries

Justice and Human Rights Committee, on Nov. 24, 2016

Justice and Human Rights Committee, on Dec. 1, 2016