Bill S-1 Railways

Bill S-1 

An Act Relating to Railways

Bill Type: Senate Public Bill Pro Forma

Bill Sponsor: Sen. Judith Seidman

The text of this Bill is not available

Summary

Current status: Introduced as pro forma Bill

Latest activity: Introduction and first reading on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 (Senate)

Status: Pro Forma Bill — Introduced May 27, 2025. This Bill will not pass. It is not intended to.

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What is this Bill For?

Bill S-1 is not a real piece of Legislation. It has no text, no policy and no effect on Canadian Law.

Every session, the Senate introduces a Pro Forma Bill — always called "An Act relating to railways" — as the very first order of business.

This is a constitutional tradition dating back centuries, inherited from the British Parliament. By introducing its own Bill before responding to the Speech from the Throne, the Senate formally asserts its right to conduct business independently of the Crown and the Government of the day.

It is introduced, given First Reading and then set aside permanently. It never passes. It is never intended to pass.

The same tradition exists in the House of Commons — Bill C-1, "An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office," serves the same purpose on the other side of Parliament.

In plain language: S-1 is Parliament's way of saying "we work for Canadians, not the King" — and it has been saying it the same way for hundreds of years.

WHO GAINS POWER

• The Senate asserts its constitutional independence from the Crown at the opening of every session — that is the entire purpose of this Bill

WHO LOSES POWER

• No one — this Bill has no legal effect

WHO GAINS MONEY

• No one — this Bill has no financial effect

WHO LOSES MONEY

• No one — this Bill has no financial effect

THE CATCH

There is no catch. There is no Bill. This is one of the oldest and most stable constitutional traditions in Canadian Parliamentary democracy — unchanged and unchallenged for centuries.