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Has Bill C-8 passed the House of Commons, Senate, or received Royal Assent as of November 18, 2025?
Executive summary
As of the latest available reporting in the provided documents, Bill C‑8 was introduced in the House of Commons on June 18, 2025 and completed first reading; several legal and industry briefings state it was at second reading or being referred to committee in fall 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4]. Parliamentary records in the provided set show a first‑reading entry and legisinfo notes no recorded votes, with later media and advocacy pieces describing activity through second reading and committee stages — but none of the supplied sources say the bill has passed the House of Commons, passed the Senate, or received Royal Assent [5] [6] [7].
1. What the parliamentary entries actually record: procedural start
Parliament’s document viewer records Bill C‑8 as a Government Bill that completed first reading when it was tabled June 18, 2025, confirming the formal re‑introduction of the cyber security measure [5]. The LegisInfo page for C‑8 states there are currently no recorded votes for the bill, which signals Parliament had not completed later voting stages according to that record [6].
2. Industry and law firms: re‑introduction and expected path
Multiple Canadian law firms and advisory groups quickly published analyses noting Bill C‑8 reintroduced many measures from the earlier Bill C‑26 and described the bill as at or moving into second reading and committee review — language that indicates parliamentary consideration rather than final passage [2] [3] [8]. These firms frame C‑8 as “nearly identical” to C‑26 and say because C‑26 had progressed far in the prior Parliament it could move relatively quickly; those are assessments of likely momentum, not records of passage [2] [9].
3. Reporting on debate and committee referral (evidence of House activity)
OpenParliament and other contemporaneous coverage document activity around second reading debates and motions to refer Bill C‑8 to committee in late September 2025 — a clear sign the House was debating and advancing the bill through standard stages, but again not proof of final passage or Senate approval [4]. The Catholic Register and similar outlets report “Bill C‑8 passes second reading” in October 2025, which matches other sources saying the bill reached that stage [7].
4. What is not shown in the supplied sources: votes, Senate passage, Royal Assent
None of the provided sources contain a record or statement that Bill C‑8 passed the House of Commons by final vote, was passed by the Senate, or received Royal Assent. LegisInfo explicitly notes no recorded votes [6], and the Parliament document viewer records only first reading in the excerpts supplied [5]. Therefore, available sources do not mention that C‑8 completed the full legislative process or became law.
5. Competing perspectives and civil‑liberties reaction
Civil society groups and advocacy organizations in the supplied reporting are actively contesting the bill’s content and urging amendments, particularly on encryption, secrecy and ministerial powers to direct telecoms — reporting that presumes the bill is under active review, not finalized [10] [11]. Legal advisories and industry notes emphasize preparedness for compliance should the bill pass, reflecting different agendas: industry advising risk mitigation and lawyers offering procedural analysis, while civil‑liberties groups push for constraints on executive authority [1] [12] [10].
6. How to interpret the timeline and next steps (based on these sources)
The supplied documents present a bill reintroduced in June 2025, moving through second reading and committee by September–October 2025 in many accounts [3] [4] [7]. Given that progression, commentators expect further committee amendments, House votes, and then potential Senate consideration — but the supplied materials stop short of documenting those subsequent halls of passage and Royal Assent, so any claim the bill became law is not supported by the provided reporting [5] [6].
7. Practical takeaway for readers and stakeholders
Stakeholders should treat the bill as active and likely to affect federally regulated critical infrastructure if enacted — prepare compliance plans and monitor parliamentary steps — but must not assume it has become law based on these sources. For definitive legal status, consult updated parliamentary records or LegisInfo beyond the documents supplied here; the current set does not show final votes, Senate passage, or Royal Assent [6] [5].
Limitations: This summary uses only the provided search results; if you want a definitive yes/no legal status as of today, you should supply or permit checking the live Parliament of Canada or LegisInfo pages beyond the excerpts included here, because available sources do not mention final passage, Senate approval, or Royal Assent [5] [6].