legislation

How a Bill Becomes Law in Canada. Every Stage, in Plain English.

Federal legislation in Canada moves through a defined sequence: introduction (first reading), debate (second reading), detailed clause-by-clause review (committee stage), final amendments (report stage), final debate (third reading), the same sequence in the other chamber (the Senate, almost always), Royal Assent, and proclamation. This article walks every stage in plain English: what happens, who participates, what can derail a bill, and where the public can still influence the outcome before it becomes the law of the land.