Question Period Note: Dental Care - Urgent need for bill to receive Royal Assent no later than October 31, 2022

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• The Government of Canada is working diligently to design and implement a long-term national dental care program; this is complex work that will take time.
• In the meantime, the proposed Canada Dental Benefit would help provide parents with children under 12 with financial support to help address their children’s dental care needs.
• The target implementation date for the Canada Dental Benefit is December 1, 2022, pending Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent of enabling legislation.

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• The Government of Canada has introduced legislation in the House of Commons that includes the implementation of the new, temporary Canada Dental Benefit.
• Bill C-31 is a key step in delivering on the Government’s Budget 2022 commitment, which committed to provide support starting with children under 12 in 2022.
• The target implementation date for the Canada Dental Benefit is December 1, 2022, pending Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent of enabling legislation.
• In order to be able to open the system for applications on December 1, 2022 and for children to begin to access care with the benefit funding this calendar year as committed, the proposed legislation must receive Royal Assent by the end of October.
• If Royal Assent is not received by then, Health Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency may not have time to complete the necessary preparations to support delivery of the benefit for a December 1 start.