Division 31 of Bill C-69, part of Canada’s 2024 Budget Bill, proposes concerning changes that would give Health Canada extraordinary power to regulate the off-label use of drugs and natural health products alike.
June 17, 2024, Division 31 of Bill C-69 was carried through the “report stage” in Parliament without any amendments. This means that this crucial section, Division 31, will be included in the final Budget Bill as it was drafted. Despite your engagement, there have been no changes.
The next step is for Bill C-69 to proceed to the third reading in Parliament. Given that this is a Budget Bill, it is expected that it will pass third reading, receive royal assent, and become law. As a result Division 31 would become law as written.
Regardless of the anticipated outcome, it is still valuable to continue engaging with your Member of Parliament on this issue. Your MP needs to understand that you find it totally unacceptable to bury important changes to health laws in an omnibus Budget Bill that won’t be reviewed by the Standing Committee on Health.
Visit Natural Health Product Protection Association (NHPPA) to learn more and find out how to take action.
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