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

The House of Commons of Canada

BILL C-298

An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act, 1997 (qualifying for benefit)

1996, c. 23

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

1. The definition of ``major attachment claimant'' in section 6 of the Employment Insurance Act is replaced by the following:

``major attachment claimant''
« prestataire de la première catégorie »

    ``major attachment claimant'' means a claimant who qualifies to receive benefit and has had at least,

      (a) in the case of a claimant who requests special benefits, 300 hours of insurable employment during the claimant's qualifying period; or

      (b) in any other case , 700 hours of insurable employment during the claimant's qualifying period.

2. (1) The portion of subsection 7(2) of the Act before the table is replaced by the following:

Qualification requirement

    (2) An insured person qualifies if the person

    (a) has had an interruption of earnings from employment; and

    (b) has had during the person's qualifying period at least

      (i) 300 hours of insurable employment, in the case of a person who requests special benefits; or

      (ii) the number of hours of insurable employment set out in the following table in relation to the regional rate of unemployment rate that applies to the person, in any other case.

(2) Subsection 7(3) to (5) of the Act are repealed.

3. (1) The portion of subsection 7.1(1) of the Act before the table is replaced by the following:

Increase in required hours

7.1 (1) The number of hours that an insured person requires under section 7 to qualify for benefits is increased to the number provided in the following table if the insured person accumulates one or more violations in the 260 weeks before making the initial claim for benefit.

(2) Subsections 7.1(2) and (3) of the Act are replaced by the following:

Limitation

(3) A violation may not be taken into account under subsection (1) in more than two initial claims for benefits if the insured person qualified for benefits with the increased number of hours in each of those claims.

4. Subsection 21(1) of the Act is repealed.

5. Section 153.1 of the Act and the heading before it are repealed.

6. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 153.1

PART VIII.2

REGULATIONS

Regulations

153.2 (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, within three months following the coming into force of this section, the Governor shall make regulations

    (a) for the operation of sections 1 to 5 of the Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act, 1997; and

    (b) amending sections of this Act to make them more consistent with sections 1 to 5 of the Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act, 1997.

Coming into force of regulations

(2) Subject to subsection (3), regulations made under subsection (1) shall come into force three months after this section comes into force.

Approval of the House of Commons

(3) The coming into force of any regulations that amend or repeal regulations made by the Governor in Council under subsection (1) is subject to approval by resolution of the House of Commons, and the regulations shall come into force on the day after the House of Commons approves the regulations by resolution.

Coming into force

7. Sections 1 to 5 shall come into force three months after this Act is assented to.