An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance (Fishing) Regulations

How it changed on the way

60% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (2,437 words introduced, 1,755 passed).

substantial changeintent mostly kept

The bill kept its core structure on maximum insurable earnings, benefit reductions, and repayment rules but added new subsections barring claims or payments for claimants penalized or convicted of offences. Minor wording and application dates were also adjusted before royal assent.

• Inserted new subsections (3) and (4) after the limitation clause on repayments.

  Before: “Limitation (5) For greater certainty, repayments under this section do not affect the determination under subsection (2) of regular benefits paid to a claimant.”

  After: “(3) Subsection (2) does not apply if, in respect of any week of benefits referred to in that subsection, (a) one or more penalties are imposed on the claimant under section 38, 41.1 or 65.1 of the Employment Insurance Act, as a result of acts or omissions mentioned in section 38 or 65.1 of that Act; (b) the claimant is found guilty of one or more offences under section 135 or 136 of that Act as a result of acts or omissions mentioned in those sections; or (c) the claimant is found guilty of one or more offences under the Criminal Code as a result of acts or omissions relating to the application of the Employment Insurance Act. (4) A claimant referred to in subsection (2) shall not make any other claim for benefits, and is not entitled to receive any other payment of benefits, in respect of any week referred to in that subsection.”

How precisely it is written

mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Moderate

The bill sets fixed dollar amounts, exact percentages, specific dates, and detailed arithmetic formulas for insurable earnings and benefit rates. Some provisions still delegate rule-making to the Governor in Council or the Commission through regulations.

Open to argument

• “in other circumstances, as prescribed by regulation, arising in that period of 208 weeks”

  Leaves the definition of qualifying circumstances entirely to future regulations.

Clear-cut

• “the maximum yearly insurable earnings is $39,000 until the amount calculated in accordance with subsection (2) for a year, before rounding down under subsection (4), exceeds $39,000”

  Fixes a clear dollar threshold and a mechanical calculation method.

• “The maximum rate of weekly benefits is 55 % of the maximum yearly insurable earn”

  States an exact percentage and arithmetic operation.

• “A repayment must be made (a) in the case of a claimant who dies after October in the year and before May in the next year, within six months after the day of death; and (b) in any other case, on or before April 30 in the next year”

  Provides objective calendar deadlines tied to specific events.

Discretion. The Governor in Council may set premium rates for 2002 and 2003 and may approve regulations that define additional circumstances for the new-entrant exception and the counting of benefit weeks.

Challenging the law itself. The text supplies numerical thresholds, formulas, and fixed dates rather than open-ended standards, leaving little room for vagueness or overbreadth arguments.

Disputing a charge under it. Most repayment, disqualification, and earnings rules rest on verifiable weeks paid and arithmetic results, but the regulatory carve-outs for special circumstances could require factual disputes over what was prescribed.

Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.