Bill C-559

3rd Session, 40th Parliament,

59 Elizabeth II, 2010

house of commons of canada

BILL C-559

An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (social condition)

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

CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACT

1. Section 2 of the Canadian Human Rights Act is replaced by the following:

2. (1) The purpose of this Act is to extend the laws in Canada to give effect, within the purview of matters coming within the legislative authority of Parliament, to the principle that all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, social condition, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted.

2. Subsection 3(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

3. (1) For all purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, social condition, disability and conviction for which a pardon has been granted.

COORDINATING AMENDMENTS

3. (1) Subsections (2) and (3) apply if Bill C-23, introduced in the 3rd session of the 40th Parliament and entitled An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (in this section referred to as the “other Act”), receives royal assent.

(2) On the first day on which both section 25 of the other Act and section 1 of this Act are in force, section 2 of the Canadian Human Rights Act is replaced by the following:

2. (1) The purpose of this Act is to extend the laws in Canada to give effect, within the purview of matters coming within the legislative authority of Parliament, to the principle that all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, social condition, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.

(2) In this Act, “social condition” means, in respect of an individual, the condition of the individual experiencing social or economic disadvantage on the basis of their source of income, occupation, level of education, poverty, lack of adequate housing, homelessness or any other similar circumstance.

(3) On the first day on which both section 26 of the other Act and section 2 of this Act are in force, subsection 3(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act is replaced by the following:

3. (1) For all purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, social condition, disability and conviction for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.