The Senate is set to get a head-start on the study of two key pieces of legislation.

Under the Rules of the Senate, the Senate may examine the subject matter of a bill before it has been adopted by the House of Commons. This valuable tool allows a Senate committee to begin the general review of the principle and policy of a piece of legislation before it arrives in the Senate. The bill must still pass through three readings in the Senate before it can become law.

“The Senate prides itself on its in-depth studies of important public policy matters. Authorizing committees to begin examining these bills now will benefit the overall study in the long run,” said Senator Marc Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate.

Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, proposes to update the Broadcasting Act to ensure that online streaming services contribute, in an equitable and flexible way, to the creation of Canadian content, among other measures.. Senat or Gold tabled a motion to allow the subject matter of the bill be studied by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.

Bill C-13, An Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages, proposes changes to modernize and strengthen the Official Languages Act, in order to protect and promote the French language. Senator Raymonde Gagné, the Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative, tabled a motion to allow the subject matter of the bill be studied by the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages.

The Senate adopted the motions on Tuesday.