1st Session, 36th Parliament,
46 Elizabeth II, 1997

The House of Commons of Canada

BILL C-228

An Act to promote the use of plain language in federal statutes and regulations

      Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Plain Language Act.

INTERPRETATION

Definitions

2. In this Act

``Language Review Committee''
« Comité de révision linguis-
tique »

``Language Review Committee'' means the Committee established by section 3;

``regulation''
« règlement »

``regulation'' means a regulation within the meaning of section 2 of the Statutory Instru ments Act;

``regulation-
making authority''
« autorité réglemen-
taire »

``regulation-making authority'' means a regu lation making authority within the meaning of section 2 of the Statutory Instruments Act.

CONSTITUTION OF AUTHORITY

Language Committee established

3. There is hereby established a committee called the Language Review Committee con sisting of three members from each political party represented in the House of Commons and a Chairperson who is a member of any political party represented in the House.

Appointment

4. At the commencement of each session of Parliament, the Speaker of the House of Commons shall appoint the members of the Language Review Committee as well as the Chairperson of that Committee.

DUTIES AND POWERS OF LANGUAGE REVIEW COMMITTEE

Duties

5. Subject to section 9, the Language Review Committee shall review

    (a) every bill referred to it under section 7; and

    (b) every draft of a proposed regulation referred to it under section 8;

and shall recommend and report to the House of Commons any changes that in its opinion will simplify the language in that bill or pro posed regulation.

Powers

6. The Language Review Committee may engage, on a temporary basis, the services of persons having specialized knowledge of any matter relating to the work of the Committee to advise and assist the Committee in the performance of its duties.

REFERENCE OF LEGISLATION TO LANGUAGE REVIEW COMMITTEE

Bills to be referred to Committee

7. (1) Subject to section 9, every bill that has passed second reading in the House of Com mons shall be referred forthwith to the Lan guage Review Committee.

Deferred reference

(2) Where a bill described in subsection (1) is to be referred, pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, to any committee referred to in those Orders, no such reference shall occur until the bill has been referred to and reported on by the Language Review Committee.

Draft of proposed regulations to be referred to Committee

8. (1) Notwithstanding any other Act of Parliament, every regulation-making author ity shall refer to the Language Review Com mittee a draft of every regulation it proposes to make and shall not make the regulation until the draft has been reported on by the Commit tee.

Application

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a proposed regulation that, if made, is required to be published in the Canada Gazette under the Statutory Instruments Act.

Exemption

9. This Act does not apply to a Government bill where the Government House Leader advises the House of Commons, after the introduction of the bill in the House, that the bill is exempt from review by the Language Review Committee.

COMING INTO FORCE

Coming into force

10. This Act shall come into force two months after it is assented to.