Bills - reinstatement (Federal)
Last revised February 21, 2024

Generally, legislative bills which have not received Royal Assent before a session of Parliament is prorogued "die on the order paper".  In order to be proceeded within the next session, they must be re-introduced as if they had never existed.

However, there are two exceptions. Public bills can be reinstated at the start of a new session at the same stage they had reached in the preceding session if a motion to that effect is given unanimous consent in the House of Commons. An example of this can be seen in House of Commons Debates, vol.142, no.008, p. 357.

Additionally, pursuant to Standing Order 86.1, Private Members’ Business to continue, all items of Private Members' Business (including bills) originating in the House of Commons are deemed to have been considered and approved at all stages completed at the time of prorogation and are continued from session to session.

The Senate has no provision for the reinstatement of bills from a previous session. Standing Order 86.2 (1), Reinstatement of Senate public bills after prorogation, allows the House of Commons to reinstate a Senate public bill to the stage it had reached in the House of Commons at the time of prorogation, provided the Senate has re-introduced the bill in the same form as it was in the previous session and it is sent to the House of Commons in the first sixty days of the new session.

 

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