Chamber
commons
Stage
3rd Reading
Introduced
Sep 22, 2025
Progress
This bill creates a medal to honour living Canadians who have donated an organ or tissue during their lifetime.
Key Changes
- Creates a new federal medal called the Living Donor Recognition Medal
- Makes Canadian citizens and permanent residents who donated organs or tissue in Canada eligible to receive the medal
- Limits the medal to one award per person
- Requires the responsible Minister to report annually to Parliament on the number of medals awarded
- Requires a one-year implementation report, including reasons if no medals have been given out
- Allows the Governor in Council to make regulations about nominations, eligibility exclusions, presentation rules, and post-nominal letters for recipients
Gotchas
- Senators and Members of Parliament are explicitly excluded from receiving the medal, even if they have donated an organ.
- The definition of 'organ' in the bill includes any form of human tissue, which is broader than what many people might assume.
- The Governor in Council has broad power to exclude additional people or groups from eligibility through regulations, without needing further Parliamentary approval.
- The bill does not set a timeline for when the first medals must be awarded, but does require an explanation if none have been given out after one year.
- The bill preserves the Governor General's existing powers over honours, meaning the medal program could be adjusted through royal prerogative without changing the law.
Who's Affected
- Living organ and tissue donors who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
- Canadians waiting for organ transplants (indirectly, through increased awareness)
- The federal government and Governor General's office (responsible for administering the medal)
- Health care and organ donation organizations
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Senators and Members of Parliament are explicitly excluded from receiving the medal, even if they have donated an organ.
- The definition of 'organ' in the bill includes any form of human tissue, which is broader than what many people might assume.
- The Governor in Council has broad power to exclude additional people or groups from eligibility through regulations, without needing further Parliamentary approval.
- The bill does not set a timeline for when the first medals must be awarded, but does require an explanation if none have been given out after one year.
- The bill preserves the Governor General's existing powers over honours, meaning the medal program could be adjusted through royal prerogative without changing the law.
Summary
Bill C-234 establishes a new federal medal called the Living Donor Recognition Medal. It would be awarded to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have donated one or more organs or tissues while alive. The bill was introduced to recognize the personal sacrifice and generosity of living organ donors, and to encourage more Canadians to consider living donation. The medal would be awarded by the Governor in Council (the federal Cabinet), and whenever possible, presented at a public ceremony by a representative of the Crown, a Senator, or a Member of Parliament. Each person can only receive the medal once. The Minister responsible would report to Parliament each year on how many medals were awarded. The bill also requires a report on how the program is being implemented one year after the law comes into force, including an explanation if no medals have been awarded yet.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses