This enactment amends the Government Employees Compensation Act to broaden the entitlement of federal employees to compensation for work-related injuries and disabilities. It creates a presumption that certain mental health disorders among certain federal employees are caused by the circumstances of their employment and provides for compensation to be paid to the employees or their dependants. This enactment also repeals a bar on claims against the Crown other than for compensation under the Act. Finally, it replaces the term “workmen” with the term “workers”.

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

accident includes a Insertion start single or series of Insertion end wilful and intentional acts, not being the acts of the employee, and a Insertion start single or series of Insertion end fortuitous events occasioned by a physical or natural cause; (accident)

compensation includes medical and hospital expenses and any other benefits, expenses or allowances that are authorized Insertion start under this Act Insertion end or by the law of the province where the employee is usually employed respecting compensation for Insertion start workers Insertion end and the dependants of deceased Insertion start workers Insertion end ; (indemnité)

industrial disease means any disease, illness or condition caused by exposure to a dangerous substance, workplace hazard or other unsafe condition in the workplace; (maladie professionnelle)

• (d) any person who is employed by any department, corporation or other body that is established to perform a function or duty on the Government of Canada’s behalf, who is on leave of absence and, for the purpose of increasing the skills used in the performance of their duties, is taking a training course that is approved by the Minister for that purpose, and

public safety employee means an employee whose work relates to public safety and security, national security or criminal justice and who performs duties or functions, or carries out responsibilities, such as

• (a) first, frontline or emergency response;

• (b) law enforcement;

• (c) search and rescue;

• (d) emergency medical services;

• (e) dispatch and communications;

• (f) fire protection and prevention;

• (g) direct interaction or engagement with accused persons, inmates or offenders in a capacity such as management, supervision or intervention;

• (h) indirect interaction or engagement with accused persons, inmates or offenders in a capacity such as the processing of evidence, the management and handling of file information relating to a criminal offence or criminal history or the provision of support to workers, courts or governmental institutions in the course of their interactions with accused persons, inmates or offenders;

• (i) provision of services and support to victims of crime, regardless of whether the perpetrator is identified or charged; or

• (j) any other prescribed duties, functions and responsibilities.‍ (agent de la sécurité publique)

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Application

(2) This Act applies in respect of an accident occurring or a disease contracted, Insertion start as well as an employment held Insertion end , within or outside Canada.

• (i) is caused personal injury by an accident arising out of and in the course of Insertion start their Insertion end employment,

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  (i.‍1) being a public safety employee, develops a mental health disorder from the circumstances of their employment, or

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• (b) the dependants of Insertion start such Insertion end an employee whose death results from such an accident, Insertion start circumstances Insertion end or industrial disease.

Presumed cause of mental health disorder

(1.‍1) For the purpose of subparagraph (1)‍(a)‍(i.‍1), a mental health disorder developed by a public safety employee shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to be caused by the circumstances of the public safety employee’s employment if the disorder is diagnosed by a prescribed medical professional as related to the employment.

(5) The portion of subsection 4(2) of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

Rate of compensation

(2) The employee or the dependants referred to in subsection (1) are, notwithstanding the nature or class of the employment, entitled to receive compensation at the same rate as are provided under the law of the province where the employee is usually employed respecting compensation for Insertion start workers Insertion end and the dependants of deceased Insertion start workers Insertion end , employed by persons other than Insertion start His Insertion end Majesty, who

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  (a.‍1) develop mental health disorders in that province from the circumstances of their employment; or

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Administration of compensation

(3) Compensation under subsection (1) shall be Insertion start administered Insertion end by

• (b) to the board, officers, authority or court authorized by the law of any province or under this Act to Insertion start administer Insertion end compensation cases, such amount as an accountable advance in respect of compensation or costs that may be awarded under this Act as, in the opinion of the Treasury Board, is expedient;

Definitions

(7) The following definitions apply in this section.

mental health disorder includes any mental or psychological disease, illness or condition or emotional distress; (trouble de santé mentale)

prescribed means prescribed by regulation.‍ (Version anglaise seulement)

• (i) is caused personal injury by an accident arising out of and in the course of Insertion start their Insertion end employment,

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  (i.‍1) being a public safety employee, develops a mental health disorder from the circumstances of their employment, or

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• (b) the dependants of such an employee whose death results from such an accident, Insertion start circumstances Insertion end or disease,

Regulations — presumptive mental health disorder

(3) The Governor in Council may make regulations prescribing medical professionals for the purpose of subsection 4(1.‍1) and prescribing duties, functions and responsibilities for the purpose of paragraph (j) of the definition public safety employee in section 2.

Election of claims

9 (1) If, Insertion start owing to Insertion end an accident Insertion start that Insertion end happens to an employee in the course of their employment Insertion start or, in the case of a public safety employee who develops a mental health disorder, owing to the circumstances of their employment, the employee or their dependants are entitled to bring Insertion end an action against a third party, the employee or their dependants, if they are entitled to compensation under this Act, may claim compensation under it or may make a claim against the third party.

Portion of excess payable to employee

(4) If an action is brought under subsection (3) and the amount recovered and collected exceeds the amount of compensation to which the employee or their dependants are entitled under this Act, the employer Insertion start shall Insertion end pay to the employee or their dependants any portion of the excess that remains after the employer recovers its costs, but if after that payment has been made the employee becomes entitled to an additional amount of compensation in respect of the same accident Insertion start or, in the case of a public safety employee, in respect of the same circumstances Insertion end , the amount paid under this subsection may be deducted from the additional compensation.

Portion of excess payable to employee

(4) If an action is brought under subsection (3) and the amount recovered and collected exceeds the amount of compensation to which the employee or their dependants are entitled under this Act, there Insertion start shall Insertion end be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the employee or their dependants any portion of the excess that the Minister with the approval of the Treasury Board considers necessary, but if after that payment has been made the employee becomes entitled to an additional amount of compensation in respect of the same accident Insertion start or, in the case of a public safety employee, in respect of the same circumstances Insertion end , the amount paid under this subsection may be deducted from the additional compensation.

Notice of election

11 Notice of an election under section 9 shall be given within three months after the happening of the accident Insertion start or, in the case of a public safety employee who develops a mental health disorder from the circumstances of their employment, within three months after the cessation of the employment, and Insertion end , in the case of an accident Insertion start or circumstances Insertion end resulting in death, within three months after the death, or within such longer period as may be allowed either before or after the expiration of the three months by the board, officers, authority or court having power to determine the right to and the amount of the compensation under this Act.

Death of employee at place other than that of employment

15  Insertion start If Insertion end the death of an employee results from an accident arising out of and in the course of Insertion start their Insertion end employment, Insertion start or, in the case of a public safety employee who develops a mental health disorder from the circumstances of their employment, the death results from those circumstances Insertion end , at a place other than the place where the employee is usually employed and the reasonable additional expenses incurred by reason of the death occurring at that other place exceed the amount of compensation to which the employee’s dependants are entitled for those expenses under this Act, there may be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund such sum as the Minister, with the approval of the Treasury Board, deems necessary to pay any portion of the excess.