The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to table its

FOURTH REPORT

Your Committee, to which was referred Bill C-6, an Act to support and promote electronic commerce by protecting personal information that is collected, used or disclosed in certain circumstances, by providing for the use of electronic means to communicate or record information or transactions and by amending the Canada Evidence Act, the Statutory Instruments Act and the Statute Revision Act, in obedience to the Order of Reference of Monday, December 6, 1999, has examined the said Bill and now reports the same with the following amendments:

1. Page 3, Clause 2 : Add the following after line 2:

""Personal health information", with respect to an individual, whether living or deceased means:

1. information concerning the physical or mental health of the individual;

• information concerning any health service provided to the individual;

• information concerning the donation by the individual of any body part or any bodily substance of the individual or information derived from the testing or examination of a body part or bodily substance of the individual;

• information that is collected in the course of providing health services to the individual; or

• information that is collected incidentally to the provision of health services to the individual.".

1. Page 23, Clause 30:

(a) Add the following after line 4:

"(1.1) This Part does not apply to any organization in respect of personal health information that it collects, uses or discloses"; and

2. Add the following after line 7:

"(2.1) Subsection (1.1) ceases to have effect one year after the day on which this section comes into force.".

Respectfully submitted,

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY
Michael Kirby
Chairman