Bill C-241

National Strategy on Flood and Drought Forecasting Act

An Act to establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting

Sponsor

Tatiana Auguste Liberal

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Report stage (House), as of June 17, 2026

Subscribe to a feed (what's a feed?) of speeches and votes in the House related to Bill C-241.

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment provides for the development of a national strategy to provide key stakeholders with the information they need to forecast floods and droughts.

Similar bills

C-317 (44th Parliament, 1st session) National Strategy on Flood and Drought Forecasting 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 C-241s:

C-241 (2022) An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons)

C-241 (2020) An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (change of political affiliation)

C-241 (2016) An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (school authorities)

Votes

Dec. 3, 2025 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-241, An Act to establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting

Debate Summary

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-241 proposes a national strategy for flood and drought forecasting, requiring the Minister of Environment to collaborate with various levels of government and partners to improve data gathering and sharing.

Liberal

Establishes a national strategy: The party supports Bill C-241 to establish a national strategy for flood and drought forecasting, viewing it as a vital tool to protect Canada from devastating natural disasters and limit costs.
Addresses urgent climate impacts: The bill responds to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which threaten Canadians, crops, and infrastructure, recognizing climate change as a present reality.
Fosters collaboration and expertise: The bill promotes strong collaboration between all levels of government, Indigenous peoples, and experts to effectively manage water resources and reduce reliance on foreign data.

Conservative

Supports bill C-241 in principle: The party supports the bill at second reading, acknowledging the need for better flood and drought forecasting, provided the strategy is developed responsibly and efficiently.
Prioritizes fiscal responsibility: The strategy must utilize existing departmental resources and expertise, focusing on coordination and efficiency to avoid new bureaucracies, additional costs, or increased taxation for Canadians.
Respects provincial and indigenous authority: The strategy must respect provincial and indigenous jurisdiction, avoiding federal overreach and ensuring an inclusive, bottom-up approach that incorporates indigenous water knowledge and diverse community voices.
Encourages private insurance: The party believes private insurance should be the primary protection against natural disasters, with accurate forecasting enabling fair risk assessment and affordable coverage for homeowners.

NDP

Supports bill C-241: The NDP supports Bill C-241, the national strategy on flood and drought forecasting act, seeing it as a promising step to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.
Addresses urgent climate impacts: Rapidly shifting weather patterns cause devastating extreme events, leading to significant environmental, fiscal, mental health, and social costs, particularly for Indigenous and rural communities.
Improves forecasting and response: The bill establishes a national flood and drought forecasting strategy to improve monitoring, support mitigation, save lives, prevent economic devastation, and address mental health.

Bloc

Questions bill's necessity: The Bloc supports climate adaptation but questions if this bill, establishing another strategy without budgetary impact, is truly necessary or if existing federal and provincial capacities are sufficient.
Quebec's existing expertise: Quebec's environment ministry already possesses extensive hydrological data, expertise, and infrastructure for forecasting and managing water resources, questioning the need for federal intervention in this area.
Prioritize financial investment: The party prioritizes concrete financial investments in climate adaptation, arguing that municipalities require significant annual funding, which the current bill fails to provide.

Was this summary helpful and accurate?

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #52

National Strategy on Flood and Drought Forecasting ActPrivate Members' Business

December 3rd, 2025 / 3:45 p.m.

The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

National Strategy on Flood and Drought Forecasting ActPrivate Members' Business

December 3rd, 2025 / 3:45 p.m.

The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia

I wish to inform the House that, because of the deferred recorded divisions, the time for Government Orders will be extended by 28 minutes.