Bill S-224

3rd Session, 40th Parliament,

59 Elizabeth II, 2010

senate of canada

BILL S-224

An Act to establish a national volunteer emergency response service

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

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service Act.

INTERPRETATION

2. The following definitions apply in this Act.

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service appointed under section 9.

“emergency” means an urgent and critical situation of a temporary nature that seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians.

“Minister” means the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

“Service” means the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE

3. The National Volunteer Emergency Response Service is hereby established.

4. (1) The role of the Service is to respond to emergencies by supplementing and supporting the functions of military, police, health and other emergency personnel and service providers.

(2) The Governor in Council shall direct the Service with respect to which emergencies the Service shall respond to under subsection (1).

5. The Governor in Council may make regulations assigning other functions to the Service.

6. The Service shall carry out its role and functions under sections 4 and 5

(a) in a manner that will not unduly impair the ability of any province to take measures, under an Act of the legislature of the province, for dealing with an emergency in the province; and

(b) with the view of achieving, to the extent possible, concerted action with each province.

7. The members of the Service, including the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, shall be unpaid volunteers.

8. To be a member of the Service, a person must

(a) be at least eighteen years of age;

(b) be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;

(c) be of good character; and

(d) meet the requirements established by the Commissioner under paragraph 11(2)(d).

COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE

9. The Governor in Council shall appoint a Commissioner of the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service.

10. The Commissioner shall carry out his or her duties under the direction of the Minister.

11. (1) The Commissioner shall direct and manage the Service.

(2) The Commissioner shall

(a) recruit and appoint members of the Service;

(b) establish standards for the training of members of the Service;

(c) establish a code of conduct for members of the Service; and

(d) establish requirements, in addition to the requirements under paragraphs 8(a), (b) and (c), that must be met for a person to be a member of the Service.

(3) The Commissioner shall assist the Minister and the other ministers in carrying out their responsibilities under the Emergency Management Act.

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

12. The Governor in Council may appoint a Deputy Commissioner of the National Volunteer Emergency Response Service who shall act under the direction of the Commissioner.

COMING INTO FORCE

13. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the provisions of this Act come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.

(2) No order may be made under subsection (1) unless the appropriation of moneys for the purposes of this Act has been recommended by the Governor General and such moneys have been appropriated by Parliament.