This bill is from the 44th Parliament, 1st session, which ended in January 2025.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal
This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.
This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.
Part 1 amends the Official Languages Act to, among other things,
(a) specify that all legal obligations related to the official languages apply at all times, including during emergencies;
(b) codify certain interpretative principles regarding language rights;
(c) provide that section 16 of that Act applies to the Supreme Court of Canada;
(d) provide that a final decision, order or judgment of a federal court that has precedential value is to be made available simultaneously in both official languages;
(e) provide for Government of Canada commitments to
(i) protect and promote French,
(ii) estimate the number of children whose parents are rights holders under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ,
(iii) advance formal, non-formal and informal opportunities for members of English and French linguistic minority communities to pursue quality learning in their own language throughout their lives, including from early childhood to post-secondary education, and
(iv) advance the use of English and French in the conduct of Canada’s external affairs;
(f) clarify the nature of the duty of federal institutions to take positive measures to implement certain Government of Canada commitments and the manner in which the duty is to be carried out;
(g) provide for certain positive measures that federal institutions may take to implement certain Government of Canada commitments, including measures to
(i) promote and support the learning of English and French in Canada, and
(ii) support sectors that are essential to enhancing the vitality of English and French linguistic minority communities and protect and promote the presence of strong institutions serving those communities;
(h) provide for certain measures that the Minister of Canadian Heritage may take to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society;
(i) provide that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is required to adopt a policy on francophone immigration and that the policy is to include, among other things, objectives, targets and indicators;
(j) provide that the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of cooperating with provincial and territorial governments;
(k) provide that the Treasury Board is required to establish policies to give effect to certain parts of that Act, monitor and audit federal institutions for their compliance with policies, directives and regulations relating to the official languages, evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of policies and programs of federal institutions relating to the official languages and provide certain information to the public and to employees of federal institutions;
(l) enable the Commissioner of Official Languages to enter into compliance agreements and, in certain cases, to make orders; and
(m) enable the Commissioner of Official Languages to impose administrative monetary penalties on certain entities for non-compliance with certain provisions of Part IV of that Act.
It also makes a related amendment to the Department of Canadian Heritage Act .
Part 2 enacts the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act , which, among other things, provides for rights and duties respecting the use of French as a language of service and a language of work in relation to federally regulated private businesses in Quebec and then, at a later date, in regions with a strong francophone presence. That Act also allows employees of federally regulated private businesses to make a complaint to the Commissioner of Official Languages with respect to rights and duties in relation to language of work and allows the Commissioner to refer the complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board in certain circumstances. It also provides that the Minister of Canadian Heritage is responsible for promoting those rights. Finally, Part 2 makes related amendments to the Canada Labour Code .
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 C-13s:
This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Bill C-13 aims to modernize the Official Languages Act by strengthening the promotion and protection of both English and French languages in Canada. The bill introduces measures to address the decline of French, particularly in Quebec, and seeks to enhance the vitality of official language minority communities. It also includes provisions related to federally regulated private businesses and aims to improve compliance by federal institutions with official languages obligations.
Liberal
Conservative
NDP
Bloc
Green
Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes
Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the recorded division stands deferred until Monday, May 30, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.
There being a message from Her Excellency the Governor General, I would ask members to rise.
The House resumed from May 20 consideration of the motion that Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee, of the amendment and of the amendment to the amendment.
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment to the amendment to the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-13.
The question is on the amendment to the amendment. May I dispense?
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
No.
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
(The House divided on the amendment to the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
I declare the amendment to the amendment defeated.
The next question is on the amendment.
If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the amendment be adopted on division, I invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
The hon. parliamentary secretary.
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
Liberal
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
I declare the amendment defeated.
The next question is on the main motion.
If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
The hon. member for Avalon.
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
Liberal
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)
An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada's Official LanguagesGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will further be extended by 51 minutes.
