Last month I discussed concussions in contact sports and highlighted some Canadian legislative efforts addressing this issue including Federal Bill C319. I addressed the Bill’s slow progress speculating that it may not become law.
This week the Bill’s author, Member of Parliament Bill Thibeault, was kind enough to contact me giving me insight into the Bill’s progress. In short the Bill will not pass into law any time soon if at all. Below are Mr. Thibeault’s comments:
As it stands, Bill C319 will not come up for second reading until sometime in 2014, as my spot on the order of precedence for private member`s business in the House of Commons is quite far down the roster. From there it would need to pass a vote at second reading, which would send the bill to committee, before coming back for a final vote in Parliament. Typically the process to get from second reading to royal assent would be around 3-4 months.
Although I remain optimistic that this legislation will receive enough bipartisan support to pass, the recent tact of the Conservatives on other important and non-partisan opposition sponsored legislation like the NDP`s anti-bully strategy does not leave it outside the realm of possibility that the bill will no pass for partisan reasons.
As always, if you would like to discuss this matter in further detail, please do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience.
Combat Sports Law 