C-222Relieving Grieving Parents of an Administrative Burden Act (Evan's Law)
An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (death of a child)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on September 18, 2025
- Status
- At report stage in the House of Commons since April 22, 2026
What it does
Lets EI caregiving benefits continue if a child dies, and gives employees up to 10 weeks of bereavement leave after a child dies.
What it does
- Keeps Employment Insurance care benefits payable when a newborn or adopted child dies during the benefit period, and treats the claimant as still caring for the child until the period ends.
- Removes the need to file a new claim or report to keep getting those EI benefits, unless the child died because of an offence and the claimant was convicted.
- Applies the same EI rule to self-employed people receiving benefits to care for a newborn or adopted child.
- Extends Canada Labour Code bereavement leave to up to 10 weeks when an employee’s child, or their spouse’s or common-law partner’s child, dies.
- Allows that leave to be taken from the day of death until 12 weeks after the funeral, burial or memorial service, and adds a special timing rule if the death happens during leave under section 206.
- Applies the new leave rule to some employees already on leave when it comes into force, and lets some employees take one extra leave period under the transition rule.
Who it affects
- Parents receiving EI care benefits
- Self-employed parents
- Federally regulated employees
- Employers in federally regulated workplaces
- Parents of a deceased child
- People on parental leave
Background
The bill changes the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code. It adds new rules for when a child dies during an EI caregiving benefit period and for bereavement leave after a child’s death.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Current stage. Now here
Third reading
Not reached.
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-222, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (death of a child)
Vote 64,
Passed
331 yeato0 nay · 4 paired
Party breakdown for vote 64 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 166 0 4 Conservative Yea 137 0 5 Bloc Yea 22 0 0 NDP Yea 5 0 2 Green Yea 1 0 0 Total 331 0
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalTerry Beech· September 18, 2025
“Moved for leave to introduce Bill C-222, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (death of a child). I rise today to introduce my private member's bill entitled the relieving grieving parents of an administrative burden act, also known as Evan's law.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeJamil Jivani· October 24, 2025
“I am very happy to stand here today to express my complete support for Bill C-222, Evan's law. I think the government needs to do as much as it possibly can to support families, in particular to support grieving families, through difficult times.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocMarilène Gill· October 24, 2025
“As we have seen in the few minutes that we have been discussing it, this bill should be something we can all agree on. Ideology and partisanship often prevail in Parliament, but in this case, we are talking about what we hold most dear, our loved ones, our children, those we have lost.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: At report stage in the House of Commons. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.