1st Session, 36th Parliament,
46-47-48 Elizabeth II, 1997-98-99

The House of Commons of Canada

BILL C-471

An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (elimination of the waiting period in a natural disaster)

1996, c. 23; 1997, c. 26

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

1. The Employment Insurance Act is amended by adding the following after section 13:

Elimination of Waiting Period

Order

13.1 (1) Where the Minister is of the opinion that a significant cessation of employment is occurring in an area as the result of a natural disaster, the Minister may, by order, eliminate the waiting period in the benefit period of any claimant who resides or works in the area to which the order applies.

Contents

(2) The order shall include

    (a) a general description of the disaster;

    (b) a description of the area directly af fected by the disaster; and

    (c) a statement that the waiting period does not apply to a claimant who resides or works in the area described under paragraph (b).

Definition of ``natural disaster''

(3) For the purposes of this section, ``natural disaster'' means an event, situation or climatic phenomenon that has the effect of paralysing a place, city, region, province or the whole of Canada for a period of at least seven consecutive days.

Retroactive order

(4) An order made under subsection (1) may, if it so provides, be retroactive and have effect with respect to any period commencing not earlier than thirty days before it was made.

2. The portion of section 54 of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

Regulations

54. Subject to section 13.1, the Commission may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, make regulations