C-318An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (adoptive and intended parents)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on March 8, 2023
- Status
- Defeated at third reading in the House of Commons
What it does
Creates a 15-week EI benefit for adoptive and surrogacy parents, and extends adoption leave under the Canada Labour Code.
What it does
- Creates a new 15-week Employment Insurance attachment benefit for people caring for a child placed with them for adoption, including a child surrendered by a surrogate mother under provincial surrogacy law.
- Extends the benefit period when the child is in hospital, lets the weeks be shared between eligible claimants for the same child, and caps each claimant at 15 weeks.
- Changes waiting-period rules so a parent who shares claims for the same child can sometimes skip or defer the waiting period.
- Applies the same 15-week adoption benefit rules to self-employed people, and adds surrogacy to the adoption definition for that part of the Employment Insurance Act.
- Extends Canada Labour Code adoption leave to up to 80 weeks, and counts children surrendered by a surrogate mother as children in the employee’s care for adoption.
Who it affects
- Adoptive parents
- Parents using surrogacy
- Self-employed parents
- Federally regulated employees
- Employers covered by the Canada Labour Code
Background
This bill amends the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code. The bill’s summary says it adds a new special benefit called an attachment benefit.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-318, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (adoptive and intended parents)
Vote 409,
Passed
178 yeato146 nay · 2 paired
Party breakdown for vote 409 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay4 broke ranks 4 145 9 Conservative Yea 116 0 1 Bloc Yea 30 0 2 NDP Yea 24 0 1 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea1 broke ranks 2 1 0 Total 178 146
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalIrek Kusmierczyk· May 4, 2023
“On March 8, 2023, the member for Battlefords—Lloydminster introduced the bill before us, Bill C-318, to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeRosemarie Falk· May 4, 2023
“It is for that reason that I introduced my private member's bill, Bill C-318. This bill delivers parity through the creation of a new 15-week employment insurance benefit for adoptive and intended parents.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocLouise Chabot· May 4, 2023
“The Bloc Québécois is very much in favour of this bill, which will ensure fairness for all parents. I can think of many arguments to support this cause.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPLori Idlout· May 4, 2023
“Uqaqtittiji, I am pleased to represent Nunavut regarding Bill C-318, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act, as introduced by the hon. member of Parliament for Battlefords—Lloydminster. Qujannamiik to the member for introducing this bill.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Bill not proceeded with. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.