Bill C-15 · 43th Parliament · Justin Trudeau
Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act
An Act respecting Canada emergency student benefits (coronavirus disease 2019)
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedApril 29, 2020
- Debated in principleApril 29, 2020
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberApril 29, 2020
- Passed the second chamberMay 1, 2020
- Became lawMay 1, 2020
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Justin TrudeauPrime Minister
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
5% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (1,845 words introduced, 1,839 passed).
minor changeintent kept
Only minor date references were updated in the formal recommendation section. The substance and wording of the Act itself stayed the same.
How precisely it is written
mixedChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Moderate
Core eligibility windows, deadlines and repayment rules are fixed by dates and defined terms. Large parts of who qualifies, how much they receive and for how long are left to ministerial regulations.
Open to argument
“for reasons related to the coronavirus disease 2019”
Subjective causation test that invites argument over what counts as a qualifying reason.“unable to work, are seeking work and unable to find it, or are working but are paid less than the amount determined under the regulations”
Mixes factual claims with amounts and meanings set later by regulation.“any other income that is prescribed by regulation”
Open-ended power to add exclusions after the fact.
Clear-cut
“No student is permitted to file an application after September 30, 2020”
Hard calendar cutoff with no discretion.“week means the period of seven consecutive days beginning on and including Sunday”
Objective seven-day definition.“the maximum number of weeks for which a student may receive Canada emergency student benefits is the number of weeks that is determined under the regulations”
Still delegates the number but ties it to a published regulation.
Discretion. The Minister, with Finance consent, may prescribe periods, redefine student, set benefit amounts, decide which income counts, and alter eligibility rules, often with retroactive effect.
Challenging the law itself. The Act creates spending authority rather than prohibitions, so vagueness or Charter claims under sections 7 or 15 would face a high threshold.
Disputing a charge under it. Attestation and "reasons related to" language allow factual disputes over eligibility that could be litigated on judicial review.
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.
Did it work?
no evaluation found
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.