Bill S-2 Indian Act Registration Amendments
Summary
Bill S-2 proposes amendments to the Indian Act registration provisions. The Senate has completed its consideration, with the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples reporting the bill with amendments on November 25, 2025. The bill has been referred to the House of Commons and is currently at second reading stage.
What changed
Bill S-2 would amend the Indian Act to modify registration (status) requirements for First Nations individuals. The Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples considered the bill through 14 meetings between September and November 2025, resulting in committee-reported amendments before the bill advanced to report stage in the Senate on December 2, 2025. The bill is now before the House of Commons for second reading and committee consideration.
Affected parties including Indigenous organizations, First Nations governments, and federal departments should monitor the bill's progress through the House of Commons. Any individuals or organizations wishing to influence the legislation should prepare submissions for the House committee stage. Registration processes and administrative procedures dependent on Indian Act status definitions should be reviewed in anticipation of potential amendments.
What to do next
- Monitor Bill S-2 progress through the House of Commons Standing Committee
- Review current Indian Act registration procedures for anticipated changes
- Prepare stakeholder submissions if House committee review is announced
Archived snapshot
Apr 6, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Summary
Current status At consideration in committee in the House of Commons Latest activity Second reading and referral to committee on Friday, February 27, 2026 (House of Commons)
Completed on Thursday, May 29, 2025 End of stage activity Introduction and first reading, Thursday, May 29, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Thursday, May 29, 2025 | Sitting 4 |
Completed on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 End of stage activities Second reading, Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Referral to committee, Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | Sitting 9 Major speeches |
| Monday, June 16, 2025 | Sitting 11 |
| Thursday, June 19, 2025 | Sitting 14 |
| Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | Sitting 15 Major speeches |
#### Consideration in committee
Completed on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 End of stage activity Committee report presented with amendments, Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Committee reports Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples Studies and bills
Committee meetings
| Meeting date | Details |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Meeting 3 |
| Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | Meeting 4 |
| Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | Meeting 5 |
| Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | Meeting 6 |
| Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | Meeting 7 |
| Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | Meeting 8 |
| Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | Meeting 9 |
| Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | Meeting 10 |
| Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | Meeting 11 |
| Wednesday, November 5, 2025 | Meeting 12 |
| Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | Meeting 13 |
| Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | Meeting 14 |
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | Sitting 37 |
Completed on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 End of stage activity Committee report adopted, Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Thursday, November 27, 2025 | Sitting 39 |
| Tuesday, December 2, 2025 | Sitting 40 |
Completed on Thursday, December 4, 2025 End of stage activity Third reading, Thursday, December 4, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Sitting 41 |
| Thursday, December 4, 2025 | Sitting 42 |
### House of Commons #### First reading
Completed on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 End of stage activity First reading, Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | Sitting 71 |
Completed on Friday, February 27, 2026 End of stage activity Second reading and referral to committee, Friday, February 27, 2026
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
|---|---|
| Friday, February 27, 2026 | Sitting 91 Major speeches Agreed to (Journals 91) |
Consideration in committee No activity Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs Study details Report stage Not reached Third reading Not reached
Recorded votes
House of Commons
There are currently no recorded votes for this bill.
Senate
To view the complete list of standing votes that have taken place in the Senate, please refer to the Votes page of the Senate of Canada website.
Speaker's rulings and statements
There are currently no Speaker's rulings and statements.
Major speeches at second reading
Senate
| Speech date | Speech | Senator |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | Sponsor’s speech (Sitting 9) | Michèle Audette (Progressive Senate Group) |
| Wednesday, June 25, 2025 | Response speech (Sitting 15) | Yonah Martin (Conservative) |
House of Commons
| Speech date | Speech | Member of Parliament |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, February 27, 2026 | Sponsor’s speech (Sitting 91) | Mandy Gull-Masty (Liberal) |
| Friday, February 27, 2026 | Response speech (Sitting 91) | Billy Morin (Conservative) |
| Friday, February 27, 2026 | Response speech (Sitting 91) | Marilène Gill (Bloc Québécois) |
Legislative summary
A legislative summary of this bill is available from the Library of Parliament.
Similar bills
Similar bills introduced in a previous Parliament
44th Parliament, 1st session
Departmental information
Press releases
Background information
Charter Statement - Bill S-2: An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements) (Tabled 2025-06-17) The road leading up to introduction of bill S-2 (2025-05-29 | Department of Indigenous Services)
From the Library of Parliament
Search research publications The Library of Parliament’s research publications provide non-partisan, reliable and timely information and analysis on current and emerging issues, legislation and major public policy topics.
Further reading
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Collaborative Process on Indian Registration, Band Membership and First Nation Citizenship: Report to Parliament June 2019. Senate, Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples. Make it Stop! Ending the remaining discrimination in Indian registration. 1st Session, 44th Parliament, June 2022. Some publications are only available in English or French. Export as: JSON XML For more data options, please see Open Data
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