An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (combined weeks of benefits rule and certain benefits)

Bill C-249 in 45-1 was a Conservative Private Member's Bill amending the Employment Insurance Act (S.C. 1996, c. 23) to allow combined weeks of maternity, parental, and sickness benefits for parents experiencing complications during pregnancy or early postpartum. Currently EI maternity (15 weeks) and parental (35 standard or 61 extended weeks) cannot be combined with EI sickness (26 weeks since Bill C-31 of 44-1) within the same benefit period. The bill called for allowing combined benefits in cases of pregnancy-related-illness or postpartum-depression. Brought after Statistics Canada's 2023 Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey found approximately 23 percent of new Canadian mothers experience perinatal depression or anxiety. Did not pass second reading.