Liberal Bills on Budget, Border Security Become Law

People walk on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Two key pieces of Liberal legislation—the Budget Implementation Act and a bill around immigration and asylum measures—have received royal assent, making them law in Canada.

On March 26, Bill C-15 received royal assent after the Senate adopted it. The legislation enacts measures outlined in the 2025 budget, including to help personal support workers and encourage construction of affordable homes.

Bill C-12, which introduces new eligibility requirements for asylum claims, alters the asylum process, and gives the government new tools to manage immigration documents, received royal assent the same day. Royal assent is the final step in the legislative process.

The federal government said in a press release that the Budget Implementation Act will help Ottawa “deliver on its plan to build one united economy, empower Canadians to get ahead, and protect our country and sovereignty.”

Bill C-15 includes measures meant to speed up the construction of affordable homes, introduces a temporary tax credit of up to $1,100 per year for eligible personal support workers, and accelerates the path toward building the Alto High-Speed Rail from Toronto to Quebec City, among other provisions outlined in the 2025 federal budget.

Bill C-15 was passed “on division” in the House of Commons on Feb. 26, which means no vote was recorded in Parliament, but the various parties agreed to disagree on the bill and allow it to pass.

To help pass Bill C-15 in the House, the Liberals accepted a Conservative proposal putting guardrails around proposed new cabinet powers. Bill C-15 had sought to give federal ministers the ability to temporarily exempt individuals or corporations from certain non-criminal federal laws. The measure, called a regulatory sandbox, is sometimes used to test new regulations before making them permanent.

The guardrails included a requirement for ministers to consult with Canadians before ordering any legal exemptions. Both a cabinet minister and the president of the Treasury Board are also required to approve shielding an individual or corporation from a law.

Bill C-12—known as the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act—was initially part of Bill C-2. That legislation, introduced in June of last year, aimed to combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of illegal drugs, crack down on money laundering, and improve the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.

However, the bill was split into two parts in October 2025 to allow certain provisions to pass through Parliament quicker. The parts of the bill focused on immigration and asylum seekers became Bill C-12.

Bill C-12 omitted provisions to expand law enforcement’s access to data, private communications, and mail, make it a criminal offence for “certain entities” to accept cash donations, deposits, or payments of $10,000 or more, or give Canada Post expanded authority to open private mail during inspections. Opposition parties had criticized Bill C-2 during its second reading in the House of Commons on June 5, saying the bill went too far in granting new powers to security agencies. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said on Oct. 8, 2025, that he expected Bill C-12 would have broader support by opposition parties than Bill C-2, and would pass through Parliament quicker.

“We felt that essentially putting forward a second bill that carves out the more contentious elements of Bill C-2 will enable us to get swifter passage of the bill,” Anandasangaree said.

Olivia Gomm and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.