Relieving Grieving Parents of an Administrative Burden Act (Evan's Law)
An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code (death of a child)
Summary
- Continues EI maternity/parental and self-employed special benefits for the remainder of the approved period even if a newborn or newly adopted child dies, unless the parent is convicted of an offence causing the death.
- Waives the need to file a new EI claim or ongoing reports to prove eligibility after the child’s death.
- Ensures employees covered by the Canada Labour Code retain their full maternity or parental leave entitlements for the original period despite the child’s death.
- Seeks to relieve grieving parents from administrative burdens while preserving income support and job protection during the leave period.
Builder Assessment
Principles Analysis
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Canada should aim to be the world's most prosperous country.
Humanitarian, targeted change with negligible macroeconomic growth implications.
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Promote economic freedom, ambition, and breaking from bureaucratic inertia (reduce red tape).
Cuts red tape by deeming continued eligibility and removing new-claim/reporting requirements during bereavement.
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Drive national productivity and global competitiveness, including removing interprovincial trade barriers and improving labour mobility (one country, one market).
Possible minor effects (longer paid leave vs. better mental health/retention) likely offset; macro impact unclear.
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Grow exports of Canadian products and resources, and move up the value chain by processing resources domestically rather than exporting them raw.
No direct link to trade or export capacity.
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Encourage investment, innovation, and resource development.
No direct effects on capital formation, innovation incentives, or resource development.
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Deliver better public services at lower cost (government efficiency).
Service quality and administrative simplicity improve, but EI outlays rise; not a lower-cost change overall.
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Reform taxes to incentivize work, risk-taking, and innovation.
Does not modify tax structures or incentives.
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Focus on large-scale prosperity, not incrementalism.
A narrow administrative and compassion measure; not a large-scale prosperity reform.
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Email [email protected]
PartyMember of Parliament
StatusAt report stage in the House of Commons
Last updatedSep 18, 2025
TopicsLabor and Employment, Social Welfare
Parliament45