Bill S-3 · 43th Parliament · Justin Trudeau
An Act to amend the Offshore Health and Safety Act
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedNov. 30, 2020
- Debated in principleDec. 8, 2020
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberFeb. 15, 2021
- Passed the second chamberMay 27, 2021
- Became lawJune 2, 2021
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.
What it set out to do
The Library of Parliament does not prepare Legislative Summaries for self-explanatory measures. The following is a short summary: On 1 December 2020, Sen. Marc Gold introduced Bill S-3, An Act to amend the Offshore Health and Safety Act, in the Senate and it was given first reading. Bill S-3 amends the Offshore Health and Safety Act to postpone the repeal of its transitional regulations.
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
60% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (752 words introduced, 603 passed). A committee amended it.
substantial changeintent mostly kept
The bill kept its core purpose of extending the life of transitional offshore safety regulations but reduced the extension from eight years to seven years. Coordinating provisions were also shortened to match a 2021 royal assent window instead of a 2022 window.
- Changed the extension period for Newfoundland and Labrador regulations from eight years to seven years.
Before: “eight years after the day on which this section comes into force.”
After: “seven years after the day on which this section comes into force.”
- Changed the extension period for Nova Scotia regulations from eight years to seven years.
Before: “eight years after the day on which this section comes into force.”
After: “seven years after the day on which this section comes into force.”
- Shortened the coordinating royal assent window from 2022 to 2021.
Before: “beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on December 31, 2022”
After: “beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on December 31, 2021”
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill uses fixed calendar dates and automatic revival rules to extend transitional regulations for exactly one year if royal assent falls in 2021. This creates clear black-and-white coverage periods rather than open-ended discretion.
Clear-cut
“beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on the day before the day on which this section comes into force”
Exact start and end dates tied to a fixed calendar point and a single triggering event leave no room for interpretation.“are repealed on December 31, 2021, unless they are repealed on an earlier date following their revival under this section”
Specifies a hard expiry date with a narrow, objective exception that does not require judgment.“If this Act receives royal assent during the period beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on December 31, 2021”
Defines the condition solely by a precise 12-month window, triggering mechanical legal effects.
Discretion. Ministers and officials have no interpretive or discretionary power; all outcomes are dictated by the calendar dates of royal assent and the fixed revival and repeal deadlines.
Challenging the law itself. The provisions rely on objective dates and mechanical revival rather than vague standards, so arguments of vagueness or overbreadth under the Charter would face a high bar.
Disputing a charge under it. Whether an offence occurred inside or outside the protected period is settled by comparing the offence date to the explicit statutory windows, leaving little factual dispute.
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.