Combatting Hate Act
Summary
Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, has passed all stages in the House of Commons and is currently at second reading in the Senate as of March 26, 2026. The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights reviewed the bill and reported it with amendments on March 13, 2026. This proposed legislation would create new offences and measures to address hate-motivated conduct.
What changed
Bill C-9, Combatting Hate Act, has cleared the House of Commons with committee amendments and is now proceeding through Senate second reading. The bill was introduced to combat hate crimes and hate-motivated conduct, with the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights conducting extensive review across nine committee meetings from October 2025 through March 2026.
Compliance teams should monitor the bill's progress through the Senate as it approaches potential enactment. If passed, the bill would impose new legal obligations on organizations and individuals regarding hate-motivated conduct. Entities should review current policies and compliance frameworks in anticipation of potential new requirements once the bill receives Royal Assent.
What to do next
- Monitor Senate proceedings and Committee stage for Bill C-9
- Review organizational policies on hate-motivated conduct and speech
- Prepare compliance frameworks for potential new hate crime offences once enacted
Source document (simplified)
Summary
Current status At second reading in the Senate Latest activity First reading on Thursday, March 26, 2026 (Senate)
Completed on Friday, September 19, 2025 End of stage activity Introduction and first reading, Friday, September 19, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
| --- | --- |
| Friday, September 19, 2025 | Sitting 25 |
#### Second reading
Completed on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 End of stage activity Second reading and referral to committee, Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
| --- | --- |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Sitting 28 Major speeches |
| Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | Sitting 31 Agreed to (Journals 31) |
#### Consideration in committee
Completed on Friday, March 13, 2026 End of stage activity Committee report presented with amendments, Friday, March 13, 2026 Committee report Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights Study details
Committee meetings
| Meeting date | Minutes |
| --- | --- |
| Thursday, October 9, 2025 | Meeting 7 |
| Thursday, October 23, 2025 | Meeting 9 |
| Thursday, October 30, 2025 | Meeting 11 |
| Thursday, November 6, 2025 | Meeting 12 |
| Thursday, November 27, 2025 | Meeting 13 |
| Tuesday, December 9, 2025 | Meeting 14 |
| Monday, February 23, 2026 | Meeting 18 |
| Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | Meeting 19 |
| Wednesday, March 11, 2026 | Meeting 20 |
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
| --- | --- |
| Friday, March 13, 2026 | Sitting 96 |
#### Report stage
Completed on Monday, March 23, 2026 End of stage activity Concurrence at report stage, Monday, March 23, 2026
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
| --- | --- |
| Monday, March 23, 2026 | Sitting 97 |
#### Third reading
Completed on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 End of stage activity Third reading, Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
| --- | --- |
| Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | Sitting 99 Agreed to (Vote 93) |
### Senate #### First reading
Completed on Thursday, March 26, 2026 End of stage activity First reading, Thursday, March 26, 2026
Chamber sittings
| Sitting date | Debates (Hansard) |
| --- | --- |
| Thursday, March 26, 2026 | Sitting 61 |
Second reading No activity Third reading Not reached
Recorded votes
House of Commons
Vote 86 — Monday, March 23, 2026 Result: Agreed To Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) Yeas: 188 Nays: 144 Paired: 4 Total: 336 Vote 92 — Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Result: Negatived Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) (recommittal to a committee) Yeas: 125 Nays: 188 Paired: 10 Total: 323 Vote 93 — Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Result: Agreed To 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) Yeas: 186 Nays: 137 Paired: 10 Total: 333
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
House of Commons
| Speech date | Speech | Member of Parliament |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Sponsor’s speech (Sitting 28) | Sean Fraser (Liberal) |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Response speech (Sitting 28) | Larry Brock (Conservative) |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Response speech (Sitting 28) | Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Bloc Québécois) |
Legislative summary
A legislative summary of this bill is available from the Library of Parliament.
Similar bills
No similar bills were introduced during previous sessions or Parliaments
Departmental information
Press releases
Background information
Charter Statement - Bill C-9: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places) (Tabled 2025-10-07) Combatting Hate Act: Proposed legislation to protect communities against hate (2025-09-19 | Department of Justice)
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
Canada. Department of Canadian Heritage. Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate. 2024. [Website] Canada. Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Anti-Hate Initiatives. [Website] Canada. Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Listed Terrorist Entities: About the listing process. [Website] Julian Walker. Hate Speech and Freedom of Expression: Legal Boundaries in Canada. Publication No. 2018-25-E. Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Library of Parliament, Ottawa, 29 June 2018. Statistics Canada. Police-reported Information Hub: Hate crime in Canada [interactive data visualization dashboard] 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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