C-241National Strategy on Flood and Drought Forecasting Act
An Act to establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on September 22, 2025
- Status
- At third reading in the House of Commons since October 9, 2026
What it does
Creates a federal strategy for flood and drought forecasting, with consultations, a report to Parliament, and a later review.
What it does
- Requires the Minister of the Environment, with four other federal ministers, to develop a national strategy on flood and drought forecasting.
- Requires consultations with provincial and municipal governments, Indigenous governing bodies, universities, civil society organisations and industry, including the insurance industry.
- Requires the strategy to assess national coordination, new investment, modelling, new technology and the possible creation of a national forecasting service and system.
- Requires a report on the strategy within two years, and a second report on its effectiveness within five years, with both reports tabled in Parliament and published online.
Who it affects
- Federal ministers
- Provincial governments
- Municipal governments
- Indigenous governing bodies
- Universities
- Civil society organisations
- Insurance industry
Background
The bill defines the Minister as the Minister of the Environment. It also says the strategy may include a proposal for a cooperative national hydrological and water resources forecasting service and system.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Current stage. Now here
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-241, An Act to establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting
Vote 52,
Passed
303 yeato22 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 52 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 164 0 6 Conservative Yea 131 0 12 Bloc Nay 0 22 0 NDP Yea 7 0 0 Green Yea 1 0 0 Total 303 22
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalTatiana Auguste· October 28, 2025
“First of all, allow me to thank John Pomeroy, director of the Global Water Futures Program and a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and the hon. member for Lac-Saint-Louis for their contributions to this bill. Extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent and intense.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeEllis Ross· October 28, 2025
“I heard my colleague from the government side talk about what Bill C-241 is not. It would not be an encroachment on provincial jurisdiction, for example, and it would not negatively affect aboriginal rights and title.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocPatrick Bonin· October 28, 2025
“When I look at the purpose of this bill, it is to improve drought and flood forecasting. Obviously, the Bloc Québécois agrees that we need to do more to adapt to climate change.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPGord Johns· October 28, 2025
“It is a huge honour and privilege to rise tonight in support of Bill C-241, otherwise known as the national strategy on flood and drought forecasting act. Rapidly shifting weather patterns and the existential threat posed by climate change have made extreme weather events more common and more devastating than ever.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: At third reading in the House of Commons. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.