Bill C-280

Mental Health Parity Act

An Act to enact the Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Services Act and to make consequential amendments to the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act

Sponsor

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

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of June 3, 2026

Subscribe to a feed (what's a feed?) of speeches and votes in the House related to Bill C-280.

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment enacts the Mental Health Parity Act , which sets out criteria and conditions in respect of mental health, addictions and substance use services that must be satisfied before a cash contribution may be made by the Government of Canada to a province in support of those services.
It also makes consequential amendments to the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements 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-280s:

C-280 (2022) Law Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farmers Act

C-280 (2021) Haida Gwaii Residents Tax Deduction Act

C-280 (2016) An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (golfing expenses)

C-280 (2011) National Strategy for Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) Act

Mental HealthPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

October 20th, 2026 / 10:40 a.m.

See context

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to table this petition, and of course, it is timely as the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health board is here in Ottawa advocating.

Petitioners cite that Canada is experiencing a mental health and substance use crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Too many Canadians are unable to access mental health or substance use supports in a timely manner. The lack of access to community-based mental health and substance use services increases demand on hospital emergency rooms and primary care providers. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness carries significant social and economic costs.

They are therefore calling on the federal government to legislate parity between physical and mental health in Canada's universal public health care system; to ensure timely access to evidence-based, culturally appropriate and publicly funded mental health and substance use services beyond hospital and physician settings; to establish the Canada mental health transfer to sustainably fund the provision of mental health and substance use services, distributed to provinces and territories for long-term, stable funding; and to support Bill C-280.