"Our Government is pleased to follow through on our plan to support law-abiding firearms owners while keeping communities safe and secure. With the adoption today by the House of Commons, this significant bill now moves to the Senate for the next stage of the legislative process.
June 2, 2015—Second reading of Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code and to make a related amendment and a consequential amendment to other Acts.
Upon Royal Assent, the following legislative amendments came into force:
• The Government has final say on classification decisions, following the receipt of independent expert advice;
• Classroom participation in firearms safety training is mandatory for first-time licence applicants;
• The Criminal Code is amended to strengthen the provisions relating to orders prohibiting the possession of firearms where a person is convicted of an offence involving domestic violence; and
• The discretionary authority of Chief Firearms Officers (CFOs) is subject to limit by regulation.
The Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) must make significant system and process changes to implement certain elements of the legislation.
The following legislative amendment will come into force three months after Bill C-42 receives Royal Assent:
• Streamline the licensing system by eliminating the Possession Only Licence (POL) and converting all existing POLs to Possession and Acquisition Licences (PALs).
The following legislative amendments will come into force nine months after Bill C-42 receives Royal Assent:
• Provide a six-month grace period at the end of the five-year licence period; and
• Make Authorizations to Transport (ATTs) a condition of a licence for certain routine and lawful activities.
The following legislative amendment will come into force 21 months after Bill C-42 receives Royal Assent:
• Authorize firearms import information sharing when restricted and prohibited firearms are imported into Canada by businesses.